Las Cruces de Mayo: that beautiful floral celebration in spring

The May Crosses or also call Holy Cross of Christ It is a festivity that consists of installing in the streets and squares of the cities large flower crosses. 

It is a holiday celebrated in many places in Spain and Latin American countries (Mexico, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, Peru, Venezuela…). However, it has peculiarities in each place where it is celebrated.

The day appointed for this popular festival is the 3 May, however, in many places the celebrations take place throughout the weekend and even during much of the month of May.

Did you know that it is one of the most important festivals celebrated in spring in Spain? If you want to know more about these popular festivals, their origin and how they are celebrated in Valencia, keep reading... You won't be able to avoid the temptation to come and experience it!

History of the festival of the Cruz de Mayo

The religious origins for Feast of the Holy Cross of May They are based on the discovery of the cross by Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, during her pilgrimage to Jerusalem, in the very place where Christ died.

The history of the festival of the cross, with part of the legend, tells that the Emperor Constantine I the Great, in the sixth year of his reign, he had an unequal battle with the barbarians on the banks of the Danube River, whose victory was believed impossible because of the difference between the two armies.

One night before the battle, the ruler He had a vision in which the holy cross of Christ appeared to him shining in the sky and above the cross some words "In Hoc Signo Vincis" (With this sign you will win). 

Constantine had a cross built to put her at the head of his army. 

And guess what happened?

 With the cross of Jesus Christ he defeated the enemies against all odds!

Later, he discovered the meaning of the holy cross, was baptized in the Christian religion and ordered churches to be built.

Such was his faith that he sent his mother, Saint Helena, to Jerusalem to find the cross of Christ.

And she found it on Mount Calvary, where the death of Christ was situated.

He found three crosses and to discover which was the true cross where Jesus died, he had a trick: he placed sick or dead people on the crosses and when they had contact with the true one, those people were cured or resurrected.

Since then the veneration of the cross of Christ arises, since the mother of the emperor, until the end of her days, asked all Christians to celebrate the commemoration of the day when she found the cross that symbolized the passion of Christ, the day May 3. 

The history of the May Cross of Constantine I the Great has a lot to do with legend, as you may be thinking, right? 

The story was considered in his time to be that of the perfect Christian and he was surrounded by a multitude of fabulous tales.

There are hardly any documented data on the popular celebration of the festival related to the Holy Cross and the first testimonies that we know date back to the XNUMXth century. 

The celebration of the Cruces de Mayo, as we know it today, reached its peak between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries.

But don't worry, today there are no sick or deceased in the celebration, in fact it is one of the happiest and most visual festivals of religious origin, whose protagonists are flowers.

Image from Shutterstock

The May Crosses in Spain today

The festival of the May Crosses It is widespread throughout Spain as a Roman rite, although with some differences depending on where it is celebrated.

The center of the party is the holy cross, which has different sizes, depending on where it is located and placed: in squares, streets, patios of houses, etc.

The crosses are adorned and decorated with flowers, plants and other objects made as decorations for the occasion. 

The May Crosses are deeply rooted and are well known in different parts of Spain (Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Cartagena, Canary Islands, Segovia, Valencia, etc).

Would you like to know the peculiarities in some of the places where they are celebrated?

We tell you more...

The May Crosses in Córdoba

La Festival of the May Crosses in the city of Córdoba It is celebrated the first weekend of May. It consists of placing crosses decorated with flowers and other decorative elements in different squares, streets, passages, etc.

The streets are flooded with life: tourists and locals celebrating throughout the city. People wear manila shawls.

The Cordovan Crosses can be visited during the day and at night, coexisting with music shows, dances, food and drink.

All the crosses participate, competing to be the most beautiful and original, in the popular competition organised by the City Council every year, which awards prizes to the best decorated crosses.

The neighbors and popular clubs They are the ones in charge of creating and decorating the crosses giving color and beauty to the city.

Córdoba's tourism multiplies during this celebration.

The May Crosses in Granada

The Festival of the Cross takes place in Granada and its province on May 3.

The first celebrations as they are known today deal with the XNUMXth century in the San Lorenzo neighborhood. In that first celebration, an alabaster cross was made and the neighbors celebrated it by singing and dancing with it.

In Granada it is typical to put in the decoration of the crosses of the altar the but (the Golden apple) and the scissors. These buts (apples) are placed next to the holy cross with scissors nailed.

The meaning of but and the nailed scissors It is very curious. It is a kind of warning to the townspeople and their gossip. It refers to nobody putting “buts” to the decoration of the cross, it is better not to criticize the decoration.

But not only that, the but what about the scissors They also serve to ward off bad luck.

Image from Shutterstock

Cruz de Mayo in Latin America

The celebration of history of the Cruz de Mayo in Latin America, instead, it is a religious commemoration whose origin is dates back to the Spanish conquest. 

The missionaries did not know the language of the natives and their mission was to preach. used the holy cross to spread the message of Christ.

The cross was easy to build and was located in a visible place to evangelize the community and religious services were held there.

The missionaries created brotherhoods that maintained the worship of the cross during the month of may with processions through different places where flowers were offered to the cross and alms were given.

La Festival of the May Crosses It is also celebrated in different countries Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela.  

Where a large number of crosses are decorated with colorful flowers, processions are held and the crosses are venerated in places visible to the entire population. A show worth visiting if one day you have the opportunity.

The May Crosses in Valencia

And, of course, it is also celebrated in our beautiful Valencia the festival of the crosses of May. It is what we call in Spanish a Valencian religious festival of great tourist interest.

The crosses are installed in squares, avenues, streets, etc. They are crosses of different sizes adorned with flowers of different colors, endowing the city with the joy of their beautiful colors.

In Valencia the cultural society Lo Rat Penat, in collaboration with Valencia City Hall, organizes the May Crosses Contest.

This competition awards the prize for the best cross based on the quantity and quality of the flowers, their variety, their chromatic composition, the native flora and, in general, all the ornamental elements that can enhance the holy cross.

Cultural entities and businesses, Fallas commissions, parishes, schools and individuals within the municipality of Valencia participate in this popular contest.

El The contest has become a traditional Valencian festival, so much so that it has become a must-do route through the adorned streets of Valencia for nature lovers.

What are the prizes? you might be wondering.

May Crosses Awards in Valencia

The special category awards are distributed as follows:

• 1st prize: a banner, a diploma and a cash prize of 1000 euros.
• 2nd prize for the runner-up: cash prize of 500 euros.
• 3rd prize: receives a cash prize of 200 euros.

So, in addition to enjoying the good spring weather in Valencia, seeing this beautiful spectacle spread throughout the city, learning more about our culture, there is the possibility of winning a good prize…

Well, it's not bad at all!

After knowing what the festival consists of, its history, how it is celebrated in different places and how it is celebrated in Valencia, are you still thinking of coming to see it? 

And you? Do you know something more about the Festival of the Crosses? Tell us in comments, we would love to know your opinion and if you have ever lived this holiday.

And, of course, if you want to get to know these popular festivals in Valencia and learn or improve your Spanish with our spanish courses… In Hispania, escuela de español We are waiting with open arms.

Article written for Hispania, escuela de español.