San Judas Day is October 28, the feast of St. Jude Thaddeus, patron saint of difficult and desperate causes. For millions of Mexicans and Mexican Americans it is one of the most important days of the year: you go to Mass in green, you bring your statue and your medal to be blessed, and you thank him for the favors he granted.
Why October 28?
October 28 is the day the Catholic Church remembers the apostles St. Simon and St. Jude. Tradition says they preached together and were martyred on the same day, which is why they share the feast. In Mexico, devotion to San Judas grew so strong over the twentieth century that the date became his.
Why the 28th of every month?
Because people did not want to wait a whole year. For decades, at the church of San Hipólito in downtown Mexico City, every 28th brings Masses from before dawn and streets full of devotees carrying their statues. The custom spread across Mexico and to parishes with Mexican communities in the United States. October 28 is simply the biggest 28th of all.
How San Judas Day is celebrated
- You wear green and white. The colors of the saint's robe. Anyone fulfilling a promise (a manda) wears green head to toe.
- You bring your statue and your medal to be blessed. The statue from home, the new "San Juditas" you just bought, the medal, the scapular. At the end of Mass everyone raises them and the priest blesses them.
- You fulfill your manda. Walking on your knees, bringing flowers, praying the novena, giving a statue to someone who needs it. It is the day you pay back the favor San Judas granted.
- You pray the novena. October 19 through 27, finishing on the feast day.
- You give. A medal, a chain, a statue. More San Judas medals are given on October 28 than on any other day of the year.
San Judas Day in the United States
In Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and any city with a Mexican parish, October 28 brings a special Mass, a procession with the statue and a blessing of religious objects. Devotees who cannot travel to San Hipólito have their medal blessed here and wear it all year. If your parish has not announced anything, ask at the office: there is almost always a Spanish Mass that day.
Who San Judas is (and who he is not)
St. Jude Thaddeus was one of the twelve apostles. He is not Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus. He is shown in a green robe, with a flame over his head (the Holy Spirit), a medallion of Christ's face on his chest and a staff in his hand. He is the saint you turn to "when there is no one left to ask": for work, health, a legal problem, a debt, a child who is going down the wrong road. For every detail of the image, read what the San Judas Tadeo medal means.
What to give for San Judas Day
A San Judas medal, chain or bracelet is the gift you give someone who is going through something hard. It says "I'm praying for you" without having to say it.
- For a son: the classic gift from a mother. A San Judas figure with a green CZ robe on a 60 cm rope chain.
- For a father or husband: a big medal on a thick chain, like the large green-robe medal with a double CZ ring, or the chain and bracelet set.
- For a partner: the San Judas ID bracelet, a medal that reads as "I'm with you in the hard part."
- For a friend or coworker: a San Judas link bracelet or an engraved round medal on a figaro chain, under $30.
- For yourself: plenty of people buy their own San Judas on October 28 as a manda. What matters is having it blessed.
Give it on or a few days before the 28th so the person can bring it to Mass. Everything is gold-plated brass (oro laminado), $17 to $50, shipped from California within 48 hours. See the full San Judas Tadeo collection, and if you are not sure what the gesture means, read when to wear a San Judas medal and how to choose one.
Frequently asked questions
When is San Judas Day?
October 28. It is the feast day of St. Jude Thaddeus (San Judas Tadeo), which the Catholic Church celebrates together with St. Simon. In Mexico and in Mexican American communities it is one of the biggest saint's days of the year.
Why do people celebrate San Judas on the 28th of every month?
Because devotion grew so large that the faithful began going to Mass on the 28th of every month, not just October. At the church of San Hipólito in Mexico City there are Masses from dawn every 28th, with thousands of devotees carrying their statues.
What color do you wear for San Judas Day?
Green and white, the colors of the saint's robe. Many devotees dress their statue the same way, and people fulfilling a promise (a manda) wear green all day.
What do you bring to be blessed on San Judas Day?
Your statue of San Judas, medals, scapulars, chains and prayer cards. At the end of Mass everyone holds them up and the priest blesses them.
Is San Judas the same as Judas Iscariot?
No. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. St. Jude Thaddeus was a different apostle, and he is the patron saint of difficult and desperate causes.
What is a good gift for San Judas Day?
A San Judas medal, chain or bracelet, ideally given before the 28th so the person can have it blessed at Mass that day. It is the gift you give someone who is going through something hard.
What does San Judas represent?
Hope in impossible situations. San Judas Tadeo is the patron saint of difficult and desperate causes; his green robe stands for hope, the flame over his head for the Holy Spirit and the medallion on his chest for Christ.
Did San Judas betray Jesus?
No. That was Judas Iscariot. San Judas Tadeo (St. Jude Thaddeus) was a different apostle and, according to tradition, a relative of Jesus.
What does a San Judas necklace mean?
That the wearer is asking St. Jude for help with something hard, or thanking him for a favor granted. When it is a gift, it means "I'm praying for you."
Is there a prayer for St. Jude's feast day?
Yes. Most people pray the traditional St. Jude prayer ("O glorious apostle St. Jude...") and finish the novena that runs October 19 to 27. Many parishes also hold a Spanish Mass on October 28.