Filipina Soul

May is just around the corner. With its coming, little girls and lovely ladies are all a-twitter, as they prepare for the month-long celebrations collectively known as Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May).

The religious celebration is a big event for many towns. Traditionally, it is a way to give thanks to God and to the Virgin Mary for the rains that begin to bless the land and cause the flowers to bloom. The flowers are much in evidence in the aisles and altar of the town church, as people give them as thanksgiving offerings.

But the central event of the festival is the “Santacruzan” (Festival of the Cross), a procession of religious statues and the town’s loveliest and most popular ladies. The Santacruzan is a re-telling of the finding of the Cross in Jerusalem by the Santa Elena (St. Helena), mother of Constantine the Great.

Each of the ladies, with their handsome escorts, dress up in their best gowns and portray various religious characters in the story. The nighttime parade is watched by everyone, who line the streets to get a glimpse of the honored participants. It is a mark of prestige to have a lady in one’s family among the chosen. Sometimes, celebrities are invited to grace the parades with their presence. Then, the streets are really packed with people.

Depending on the town’s resources, the parade can be anything from simple, with the participants walking down the streets, to truly elaborate, with motorized platforms filled with lights and flowers. Often, there is a band to accompany and provide live music.

The short clip above, of a Santa Cruzan Parade in Zamboanga CIty, captures the feel of a simple small-town parade as I remember it. These days, there aren’t as many celebrations of Flores de Mayo as in the years past. I hope you’ll be able to watch one this May.

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