TravellingTrans Nov 2, 2014:

Fair enough ;) This is a list of 36 Advocaciones de la Virgen María specifying why and on what date they became days/periods of celebration/remembrance regarding certain "miraculous events" that are now celebrated and remembered. I think we call them Saint's Days in English as the general term:

http://www.taringa.net/posts/offtopic/15944068/36-Advocacion...

And another one:

http://www.portalmariano.com/Advocaciones.htm

It also can refer to "patrocinio" (see entries in the wiktionary entry and cross-check with DRAE which lists: 1. m. Título de una fiesta de la Virgen María, que se celebra en una de las domínicas de noviembre;

as well as 1. m. Título que se da a una fiesta del patriarca San José, celebrada en la tercera domínica de la Pascua de Resurrección)

or "tutela" of the saint itself, which is the 'protective authority' of the saint (DRAE)

but in the overall context "advocaciones religiosas" are days or periods of celebrations or festivals which remember a supposed miraculous event or apparition, especially celebrated at the specific church or location where the visitation or miracle supposedly occurred.

DLyons Nov 2, 2014:

Festivals or Celebrations TravellingTrans' Festivals or Celebrations certainly seems possible - DRAE has "Denominación de las correspondientes imágenes, de los santuarios y días en que se veneran, de las entidades acogidas a su patrocinio" but that's not quite the same. Moliner doesn't give this usage. I'd like to see something other than wiki confirm this.