In Spanish, the word milagro literally means “miracle” or “surprise.” Milagros (also known as an ex-voto or dijes or promesas) are religious folk charms that are traditionally used for healing purposes and as votive offerings in Mexico, the southern United States, other areas of Latin America, and parts of the Iberian peninsula, where they are thought to have originated as a result of Roman Catholicism, and brought over to other parts of the world through the Spanish conquistadors. Milagros are also carried for spiritual protection and good luck.
Milagros correspond almost exactly to the tamata used in the Eastern Orthodox Churches and in parts of southern Italy.

