Flores de Mayo is a Catholic festival which is celebrated in the Philippines in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This festival is celebrated for the whole month of May all throughout the Philippines. This festival is one of a kind as it features a parade of beautiful women dressed in elegant clothing at the end of the celebration. See Flores de Mayo pictures
Contents
Flores de Mayo Festival 2015
Flores de Mayo 2015 is to be held for the whole month of May. it will begin on May 1st, a Friday, it will end on May 31st, a sunday. In some regions, this is celebrated every Wednesdays and Saturdays of May.
This celebration is not only localized in a single location. It is celebrated in different towns, cities and even small communities in the Philippines
Highlights- Flores de Mayo
May is the month of colorful festivals and Flores de Mayo is one of them. As the Philippines welcome the Flores de Mayo, the townspeople gather in the church every afternoon to decorate the churches’ altar and aisles with beautiful and colorful flowers as a way of honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. They arrange the flowers in an extraordinary manner and the townspeople come in their Sunday dresses as they sing and pray the rosary altogether and offer flowers to the Virgin Mary. After the ceremony, they serve homemade snacks to the ones who attended the event.
About Flores de Mayo
What is Flores de Mayo?
Flores de Mayo is a Spanish word which means “Flowers of May”. Sometimes, it is also referred to as Flores de Maria, which means “Flowers of Mary”. It was rooted from the ritual of offering flowers to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Meaning of Santacruzan
Santacruzan or the Sagala is a religious and historical pageant which is held in many towns and cities in the Philippines during the month of May. This procession represents the Reyna Elena (Queen Helena) and her son’s search of the Holy Cross. After the holy cross was found and brought back, they had a joyful celebration as a way of giving thanks.
Before the Santacruzan Festival, a novena is held in honor of the Holy Cross.
Flores de Mayo: Main Attractions
Santacruzan or Sagala
The most awaited event of the Flores de Mayo is the Sagala or the Santacruzan. The Santacruzan is a procession which represents the search of Reyna Elena and his son of the Holy Cross. This event is celebrated on different towns and even small communities in the Philippines.
This event mostly features a group of beautiful women dressed in elegant clothing and paired with an equally handsome men as they parade a specified route. Some towns and cities organize a big event and even feature local celebrities to star as Reyna Elena in their Santa Cruzan.
Flores de Mayo History
In the Tagalog region, this tradition and celebration began after the announcement of the dogma of the Immaculate Concepcion in 1854 and after the dissemination of Mariano Sevilla’s translation of the devotional Flores de Mayo.
One of the famous traditions is the nightly adoration and celebration done in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary through decorating the church, offering flowers and praying the rosary. This lasts for a month and ends with a Holy mass and the Santacruzan to end the celebration.
Interesting Information about Flores de Mayo
While the Santacruzan is composed of a group of beautiful women, the Reyna Elena is the star of the Santacruzan and is represented by the most beautiful lady in the community. People spend a lot of money to create a grandiose decoration and on their Flores de Mayo gowns in order to look elegant for this event.
As the procession moves along the streets, they are followed by the people while holding candles and joins in praying the rosary and singing songs of praise.
This tradition is introduced by the Spaniards and is being celebrated annually in the Philippines for more than 100 years now.
Recommendations
Ask around: The Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan Festival are held in different towns and cities in the Philippines. To make sure that you witness this event, especially the Santacruzan, it is best to ask your local community regarding the schedule of the parade.
Bring a camera: Since celebrations like this may not be seen in a number of countries other than the Philippines, it is best to bring a camera with you. Be amazed with the magnificent decorations and beautiful women featured in this parade.
Useful Information
Date: The whole month of May. In some towns, this is held every Wednesdays and Saturdays of May.
The Santacruzan is usually held on Saturdays and Sundays. This is done by the end of the celebration.
Location: This is celebrated in different towns, cities and even small communities in the Philippines.
Fee: None