Our Lady of Aparecida Day is observed in Brazil every October 12 and is a public holiday that commemorates the principal patron saint of Brazil. This day also coincides with Children's Day, during which parents often give gifts to their children. The holiday has its origins in the discovery of a clay statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as Our Lady of Aparecida, by three fishermen in the River Paraiba in October 1717. The first chapel dedicated to the statue was built in 1745, and devotion to her grew significantly, leading to her official declaration as the patroness of Brazil by Pope Pius XI in 1930. The statue is currently housed in the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida. The date of October 12 has been celebrated since the 19th century and was proclaimed a national holiday in 1980.