<P> Copies of the Infant Jesus of Prague statue have been distributed widely . A similar statue arrived in the Philippines with Ferdinand Magellan and the Augustinian missionaries in 1521, during the first circumnavigation of the Earth . During the first years of the christianization of Archipelago, the sacred image helped convert the Filipino people to Catholicism and is locally called Santo Niño (literally, "holy child"). It is currently housed in a Spanish - style church built in 1739 . A yearly nine - day celebration was introduced in 1889 that includes a procession held in the statue's honour, attracting over a million pilgrims each January . The expressions, accessories and hand posture of Santo Niño de Cebú are similar to the Infant Jesus of Prague, and it is believed that both statues originated from the same European source, with the devotion to Santo Niño starting earlier of the two . Copies of the statue have been venerated by Spanish - speaking Catholic faithful in churches around the world . </P> <P> Copies of the Infant Jesus arrived in Poland in 1680, and has been popular in Polish homes, and Bohemia in general, where copies of the statue are typically placed in glass - enclosed gables . After the start of the Counter-Reformation era of the 17th century, the statue spread among the Christian communities of South Africa, Australia, Caribbean, Thailand and Sri Lanka . </P> <P> The statue is a 19 ‐ inch (48 cm), wooden and coated wax representation of the Infant Jesus . The surface of the wax is quite fragile . In order to protect the fragile wax surface, the bottom half below the waist is enclosed in a silver case . </P> <P> Since 1788, the statue's raised two fingers have worn two rings, as a thanksgiving gift by a noble Czech family for healing their daughter, along with its golden blond hair . Some earlier records indicate that the original wig was possibly white . </P>

National shrine of the infant of prague in prague ok