"An ex voto is a votive offering to a saint or divinity. It is given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for "ex voto suscepto," or "from the vow made") or in gratitude or devotion. Ex-votos are placed in a church or chapel where the worshiper seeks grace or wishes to give thanks. The destination of pilgrimages often include shrines decorated with ex-votos.
Ex-votos can take a wide variety of forms. They are not only intended for the religious figure, but also as a testimony to later visitors of the help received. As such they may include texts explaining a miracle attributed to the holy figure, or symbols such as a painted or modeled reproduction of a miraculously healed body part, or a directly related item such as a crutch given by a person formerly lame."
Source: http://www.silvercollection.it/dictionaryexvoto.html
The first photo shows several ex-votos I've amassed along the way. The second photo shows what I would like my collection to look like someday. Wow! The third photo shows a shrine in Germany to the Virgin and Child with hundreds of ex votos pinned to the gown.
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