![2 MAYO-CRUZ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/2_MAYO-CRUZ.jpg)
The Fiesta de las Cruces ("Festival of the Crosses") or Cruz de Mayo ("May Cross") is a holiday celebrated on 3 May in many parts of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and
Hispanic America
The region known as Hispanic America (in Spanish called ''Hispanoamérica'' or ''América Hispana'') and historically as Spanish America (''América Española'') is the portion of the Americas comprising the Spanish-speaking countries of North, ...
.
Origins
Religiously, the festival is rooted in the legendary search by
Byzantine Empress
This is a list of Roman and Byzantine empresses. A Roman empress was a woman who was the wife of a Roman emperor, the ruler of the Roman Empire.
The Romans had no single term for the position: Latin and Greek titles such as '' augusta'' (Greek ...
Saint
Helena for the cross on which
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
died, but the popular traditions connected to the festival certainly trace back to
pagan traditions brought to Spain by the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
(''see
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...
'').
The legend is that Emperor
Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
, in the sixth year of his reign, confronted the
barbarians on the banks of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
, in a battle where victory was believed to be impossible because of the great size of the enemy army. One night, Constantine had a vision of a cross in the sky, and by it the words "''In hoc signo vincis''" (''With this sign, you shall be victorious''). The emperor had a cross made and put it at the front of his army, which won an easy victory over the enemy multitude. On returning to the city and learning the significance of the cross, Constantine was baptized as a
Christian and gave orders to construct Christian churches. He sent his mother, Saint Helena, to Jerusalem in search of the
True Cross
The True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was said to have been crucified, particularly as an object of religious veneration. There are no early accounts that the apostles or early Christians preserved the physical cross themselves, althoug ...
, the cross on which Jesus died. Once there, Helena summoned the wisest priests to aid in her attempt to find the cross. On
Calvary Hill, traditionally considered the site of Jesus's crucifixion, she found three bloody logs hidden. In order to discover which was the True Cross, she placed the logs one by one over sick people, and even dead people, who were cured or resuscitated at the touch of the True Cross. The
veneration
Veneration ( la, veneratio; el, τιμάω ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Ety ...
of the True Cross, and the use of pieces of the True Cross as
relics, begins at this time. Santa Helena died praying for all believers in Christ to celebrate the commemoration of the day the Cross was found.
Places where the holiday is celebrated
The "Fiesta de las Cruces" is celebrated in numerous places in Spain and Hispanoamerica.
Spain
![Cruz de mayo bailio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Cruz_de_mayo_bailio.jpg)
Various groups of people - usually linked to the Hermandades, the religious Brotherhoods who organise the Easter Week processions, get together and decorate a tall cross with flowers.
They choose a pretty square or street, and also decorate the area around the cross with typical and traditional items. A guitar. An embroidered shawl. Old earthenware pots. Even an old-fashioned sewing machine! For the cross of the Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Queen of the Sea, they use fishing nets and tackle. For San Isidro the Ploughman Saint, they have crops and traditional foodstuff.
They set out these beautiful items, redolent of the past and of the traditions of the town, making an artistic display that everyone comes to admire.
Although it is normally one of the Brotherhoods decorating the crosses, it can also be a group of friends and neighbours, a youth group, a Charity, who get together to produce these lovely events.
![cruzcf2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Cruzcf2.png)
*
Aguilar de la Frontera (
Province of Córdoba). There is a procession of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios from the Iglesia de la Veracruz ("Church of the True Cross") in the Remedios neighborhood
*
Aguiama (
La Rioja
La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, an ...
)
*
Águilas
Águilas () is a municipality and seaport of southeastern Spain, in the province of Murcia. It is situated at the southern end of Murcia's Mediterranean coastline, otherwise known as the Costa Cálida, near the border with the Province of Almería ...
(
Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia (, ; es, Región de Murcia ), is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. The region is in ...
) in the ''
pedanía'' (sub-municipal district) of
Calabardina
*
Alboraya
Alboraya () or Alboraia () is a town and municipality of the province of Valencia, Spain. It is situated very close to the city of Valencia.
Originally a farming community, Alboraya has grown in recent decades following the development of the m ...
(
Province of Valencia
Valencia ( ca-valencia, València) is a province of Spain, in the central part of the autonomous Valencian Community. Of the province's over 2.5 million people (2018), one-third live in the capital, Valencia, which is also the capital of the au ...
). Organized by the Junta Local de Hermandades de Semana Santa de Alboraya (Local Alboraya Grouping of Brotherhoods of the Holy Week)
*
Alcalá la Real
Alcalá la Real is a city in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2006 census ( INE), the city has a population of 22,129.
Geography
Alcalá la Real is situated from the provincial capital, Jaén, and from Granada, on the slopes of ...
(
Province of Jaén)
*
Alhama de Murcia
Alhama de Murcia is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia. It is located in the north of the southern half of the region. The municipality shares borders with Librilla in its north, Murcia in its northeast, Fu ...
(Murcia)
*
Alhaurín el Grande
Alhaurín el Grande is a town located in the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain.
It covers an area of 73.1 km2 extending from the northern slope of the Sierra de Mijas and the plain of the Guadalh ...
(
Province of Málaga)
*
Aljucer, a ''pedanía'' of the city of
Murcia
Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...
*
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...
, in the Santa Cruz neighborhood
*
Almería
Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city g ...
, throughout the historic center of the city
*
Almonaster la Real (
province of Huelva
Huelva () is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by Portugal, the provinces of Badajoz, Seville, and Cádiz, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Huelva.
Its area is 10,1 ...
)
*
Almuñécar
Almuñécar () is a Spanish city and municipality located in the southwestern part of the comarca of the Costa Granadina, in the province of Granada. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean sea and borders the Granadin municipalities of ...
(
Province of Granada)
*
Armilla (Province of
Granada). The city government organizes a competition of decorated crosses on 3 May
*
Andosilla Andosilla is a town in the province and autonomous community of Navarra, northern Spain.
Demography
Colors=
id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7)
id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1)
id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.9)
ImageSize ...
(
Province of Navarre).
*
Aranda de Duero
Aranda de Duero is a city and municipality, capital of the Ribera del Duero comarca, in the south of the province of Burgos, in Castile and León, Spain. It has a population of roughly 33,000 people and lies on the River Duero. The closest int ...
(
Province of Burgos
The Province of Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia, Cantabria, Vizcaya, Álava, La Rioja, Soria, Segovia, and Valladoli ...
). A cross is brought down from the church-museum of San Juan to the Plaza Mayor (main square), with hundreds of people dancing behind
*
Baza (Granada)
*
Berrocal
Berrocal is a city located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used ...
(Huelva)
*
Bonares (Huelva)
*
Breña Alta
Breña Alta (Spanish for Upper Breña) is a municipality on the eastern side of the island of La Palma, in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. The ayuntamiento (municipal office) is in the town of San Pedro, at 350 m a ...
(
Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, also Province of Santa Cruz ( es, link=no, Provincia de Santa Cruz de Tenerife), is a province of Spain, consisting of the western part of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. It consists of abo ...
)
*
Breña Baja (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
*
Burriana (
Province of Castellón
Castellón (officially in ca-valencia, Castelló) is a province in the northern part of the Valencian Community. It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west, Tarragona to the north, and by the Mediterranean Sea ...
)
*
Cabeza la Vaca (
Province of Badajoz
The province of Badajoz () is a province of western Spain located in the autonomous community of Extremadura. It was formed in 1833. It is bordered by the provinces of Cáceres in the north, Toledo, Ciudad Real in the east, Córdoba in the s ...
). At different places around Cabeza la Vaca, crosses are adorned in a variety of motifs. On the night of 2 May, crosses are paraded through town, each accompanied by a musical group. On 3 May a procession goes through the streets of the city, with one primary cross representing the True Cross, but also many other crosses adorned by children with flowers
*
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
. Crosses with flowers are taken in procession throughout the city. Also, folk festivals (''
verbenas'') are held in honor of the cross, and many courtyards are decorated in floral motifs
*
Cadrete
Cadrete is a small town in north-east Spain, close to Zaragoza. It is notable for its Muslim castle, Mudejar Church and famous Cardoons. More recently, a massive wind-turbine has been installed at less than 300 metres away from the village, prod ...
(
Province of Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), also called Saragossa in English,''Encyclopædia Britannica''Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)/ref> is a province of northern Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Aragon.
Its capital is Zaragoza, which is also t ...
)
*
Caminreal
Caminreal is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE
INE, Ine or ine may refer to:
Institutions
* Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center
* Instituto Nacio ...
(
Province of Teruel
Teruel (Catalan: ''Terol'' ) is a province of Aragon, in the northeast of Spain. The capital is Teruel.
It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia (including its exclave Rincón de Ademuz), Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Za ...
)
*
Cieza (Murcia)
*
Province of Ciudad Real. The festival is celebrated throughout the province. In particular, the celebrations at
Campo de Calatrava
Campo de Calatrava is a comarca in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It takes its name from the Order of Calatrava, a military order which held territory in the area from the time when it was on the border between Christian and Muslim Spain.
A '' Deno ...
,
Piedrabuena
Piedrabuena is a municipality in Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(Englis ...
and
Villanueva de los Infantes in the ''
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...
''
Campo de Montiel have been declared to be of Regional Touristic Interest
*
Coín
Coín () is a town and municipality in the Province of Málaga, Spain, c. 33 km west of the provincial capital, Málaga, and about 30 km north of Marbella. The town has an official population of 22,000 inhabitants.
Foreigners now make ...
(Málaga)
*
Córdoba. The Fiesta de las Cruces is combined with a festival can competition for decorated courtyards in the Real Feria de Mayo, with 25 crosses and 50 ''patios'' (courtyards)
*
Corte de Peleas (
Province of Badajoz
The province of Badajoz () is a province of western Spain located in the autonomous community of Extremadura. It was formed in 1833. It is bordered by the provinces of Cáceres in the north, Toledo, Ciudad Real in the east, Córdoba in the s ...
)
*
Dosbarrios (
Province of Toledo)
*
Écija
Écija () is a city and municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is in the countryside, 85 km east of the city of Seville. According to the 2008 census, Écija had a total populat ...
(
Province of Seville). Organized by the Hermandad del Resucitado, with traditional children carrying the crosses. Celebrated on a Sunday (3 May or the first Sunday thereafter).
*
El Madroño (Seville)
*
El Viso del Alcor
El Viso del Alcor is a city located in the province of Seville
The Province of Seville ( es, Sevilla) is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by the provinces of Málaga, C ...
(Seville)
* Estepona (Malaga) Held on the first weekend of the month of May. There are about 10 different crosses, in different pretty squares of the town. The Ayuntamiento (Town Council) awards prizes for the best-decorated square and cross. The idea is to go and visit them all and see if you agree with the judges! As well as the decoration, there is music, dancing (can you do flamenco?), barbecues and general merriment all weekend long around each cross.
*
Feria
In the liturgy of the Catholic Church, a feria is a day of the week other than Sunday.
In more recent official liturgical texts in English, the term ''weekday'' is used instead of ''feria''.
If the feast day of a saint falls on such a day, the ...
(Badajoz). Crosses are elaborately decorated in flowers, and altars are set up in rooms throughout the city. In 2008 there were more than 70 crosses. Declared as of National Touristic Interest
*
Granada. One of the most beautiful of the festivals, and one of the cities most prominent for its celebrations of the holiday. Prizes are awarded in several categories: courtyards, streets and plazas, windows, and schools. The crosses are adorned with red and white
carnation
''Dianthus caryophyllus'' (), commonly known as the carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus''. It is likely native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.Med ...
s and are often surrounded by artisanal handicrafts and paired with a drinks stand.
*
Granja de Rocamora
Granja de Rocamora is a village in the province of Alicante and autonomous community of Valencia, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ' ...
(Alicante)
*
Guadalcázar (Córdoba), in the Plaza de España
*
Hellín
Hellín is a city and municipality of Spain located in the province of Albacete, Castilla–La Mancha. The municipality spans across a total area of 781.66 km2. As of 1 January 2020, it has a population of 30,200, which makes it the second largest ...
(
Province of Albacete
Albacete ( es, Provincia de Albacete, ) is a province of central Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. As of 2012, Albacete had a population of 402,837 people. Its capital city, also called Albacete, is ...
)
*
Huelva
Huelva (, ) is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is between two short rias though has an outlying spur including nature reserve on the Gulf of Cádiz coast. The ria ...
, especially for the Cruz de Mayo of San Pedro
*
Jaén
*
L'Alfàs del Pi (
Province of Alicante)
*
La Palma del Condado
La Palma del Condado is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census, it has a population of 9,925 inhabitants. Circuito Monteblanco ( Monteblanco race circuit) is situated here, hosting motorspo ...
(Huelva)
*
Lebrija
Lebrija () is a city and municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Andalusia, most specifically in the Province of Sevilla. It straddles the left bank of the Guadalquivir river, and the eastern edge of the marshes known as La ...
(Seville)
*
Linares (Jaén)
*
Lucena del Puerto
Lucena del Puerto is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given popul ...
(Huelva)
*
Málaga
*
Martos
Martos is a city in the province of Jaén in the autonomous community of Andalusia in south-central Spain.
It has a population of 24271 inhabitants, making Martos the fifth largest municipality in the province. The city is located on a western ...
(Jaén)
*
Mengíbar
Mengíbar is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2006 census (INE
INE, Ine or ine may refer to:
Institutions
* Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center
* Instituto Nacional de Estadístic ...
(Jaén)
*
Molinillo (
Province of Salamanca
Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, Valladolid, Ávila, and Cáceres, and on the west by Portugal. It has ...
)
*
Montalbán de Córdoba
Montalbán de Córdoba is a town in the province of Córdoba in Andalusia, southern Spain. The town is 42 km from Córdoba, the capital of the province.
History
*Prehistory
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the pe ...
(Córdoba)
*
Montilla
Montilla () is a town and municipality of Spain, located in the autonomous community of Andalusia. , the town had a population of 23,209, which makes it the fourth most populated municipality of the Province of Córdoba. It lies 32 miles south o ...
(Córdoba), in the Barrio de La Cruz.
*
Motril
Motril () is a town and municipality on the Mediterranean coast in the Granada, Spain. It is the second largest town in the province, with a population of 60,368 as of 2016. The town is located near the Guadalfeo River and is from Granada.
Hi ...
(Granada). One of the most prominent of the festivals, rivaling that of Córdoba in fervor and enthusiasm. The festivities are considered of National Touristic Interest and it is considered the city's ''Feria Chica'', that is, its second most important festival
*
Murcia
Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...
(
Región de Murcia
The Region of Murcia (, ; es, Región de Murcia ), is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Mediterranean coast. The region is in area and had a population of 1,511,251 as at the st ...
)
*
Mutxamel
Mutxamel ()Spanish exonym: Muchamiel or Muchamiel (in Spanish) is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alacantí, Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de Espa ...
(Alicante)
*
Otura (Granada)
*
Piedrabuena
Piedrabuena is a municipality in Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(Englis ...
(Ciudad Real)
*
Pinos del Valle (Granada). Celebrated 1, 2, and 3 May, and dedicated to Santo Cristo del Zapato
*
Puente Genil
Puente Genil () is a Jonian city in the province of Jonia, autonomous community of Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonom ...
(Córdoba)
*
Paterna
Paterna is a city and a municipality in the province of Valencia in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is located northeast of the comarca of '' L'Horta de Valencia'', northwest of the inland suburbs of Valencia, and on the left bank of the riv ...
(Valencia), where it is celebrated 1 May
*
El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz)
*
Torrelaguna
Torrelaguna () is a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. It covers an area of 43.40 km2. , it has a population of 4,724.
History
Public transport
Torrelaguna has three line buses. They are:
Line 197: Torrelaguna - Madrid (Pl ...
(Madrid)
*
Rociana del Condado
Rociana del Condado is a town located in the province of Huelva, Andalusia, Spain.
Geography
Rociana del Condado belongs to the Judicial District of La Palma del Condado. It is located 37 km from the capital, its area is 70.7 km2 and has a ...
(Huelva), with crosses on Calle La Fuente, Calle Las Huertas, Calle Orozco, Calle Nueva, Calle Cabreros, Calle Sevilla, Calle Candao, Calle Almonte, and Calle Arriba.
*
Sagunto
Sagunto ( ca-valencia, Sagunt) is a municipality of Spain, located in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community. It belongs to the modern fertile ''comarca'' of Camp de Morvedre. It is located c. 30 km north of the city of Valencia, cl ...
(Valencia), where it is celebrated 1 May
*
Sama de Grado (Asturias). The origin of this celebration is uncertain, but it may go back as much as 500 years. One of its peculiarities is that instead of a procession centered on a cross, there is a procession of the
Virgin of Sorrows dressed in sky blue to celebrate Christ's victory over death. The statue of the Virgin is displayed, successively in three aspects: as the mother of Jesus, as the ''Dolorosa'' accompanying Jesus to Calvary, and because May is her month
*
Santa Cruz de La Palma
Santa Cruz de la Palma (Spanish for ''Holy Cross of La Palma'') is a city and a municipality on the east coast of the island of La Palma in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz de la Palma is the second-large ...
(Santa Cruz de Tenerife). The festival here also celebrates the foundation of the city, 3 May 1493
*
Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The festival here also celebrates the foundation of the city, 3 May 1494
*
Los Realejos
Los Realejos is a town and a municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife, which is the biggest of the Canary Islands. It is part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. The town is located from the north coast, southw ...
(Santa Cruz de Tenerife), in the Barrio de la Cruz Santa
*
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
*
Úbeda
Úbeda (; from Iberian ''Ibiut'') is a town in the province of Jaén in Spain's autonomous community of Andalusia, with 34,733 (data 2017) inhabitants. Both this city and the neighbouring city of Baeza benefited from extensive patronage in the ...
(Jaén)
*
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
*
Valencia de Alcántara
Valencia de Alcántara (Population: 6178) is a municipality located in the province of Cáceres, in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is near the Portuguese border ( District of Portalegre), separated from it by the Sever.
His ...
(
Province of Cáceres
The province of Cáceres ( ; es, provincia de Cáceres, ) is a province of western Spain, and makes up the northern half of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Its capital is the city of Cáceres. Other cities in the province include Pla ...
)
*
Villa de Mazo
Villa de Mazo is a town and a municipality on the island of La Palma, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It is situated in the southeastern part of the island. The population of the municipality is 4,858 (2013) (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
*
Villabrágima
Villabrágima is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 1,173 inhabitants.
Gallery
Puerta del reloj de Villabrágima.JPG , Villa ...
(
Province of Valladolid)
*
Villalgordo del Marquesado (
Province of Cuenca)
*
Xàbia
() or () is a coastal town and municipality in the '' comarca'' of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante, Valencia, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. Situated on the side of the Montgó Massif, behind a wide bay and sheltered between two rock ...
(Alicante)
Colombia
The
Departments of
Antioquia,
Caldas,
Quindío, and
Risaralda, and the municipality of
Funza
Funza () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Western Savanna Province, of the department of Cundinamarca. Funza is situated on the Bogotá savanna, the southwestern part of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense with the urban centre at an altit ...
,
diocese of Facatativá, have a large population of
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
descent, who carry on the tradition of the ''Día de la Santa Cruz'' ("Day of the Holy Cross") or ''Día de los Mil Jesuses'' ("Day of the Thousand Jesuses") on 3 May. People speak the name of Jesus one thousand times, and believe this will protect them through the coming year.
Guatemala
Most of Guatemala celebrates the Fiesta de las Cruces largely in a symbolic and respectful manner, with colorful processions.
The construction equipment and materials retailer
FFACSA, one of Guatemala's leading businesses, sponsors a large and less traditional celebration in
Chimaltenango Department
Chimaltenango is a department of Guatemala. The capital is Chimaltenango.
Geography
Located to the east are Guatemala Department, home to Guatemala City, and Sacatepéquez Department, while also bordered by Quiché Department and Baja Verapaz ...
. That celebration begins at 6 p.m. on 2 May with a celebration of the
eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
in honor of the Holy Cross. On 3 May people begin to gather at 3 a.m. and parade through the streets of various municipalities of the department, after which there are various sporting activities (including
mountain biking and a
marathon). At noon, roughly 3,000 construction workers gather for lunch at FFACSA's various branch offices (in
Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango (, also known by its Maya name Xelajú or Xela ) is both the seat of the namesake Department and municipality, in Guatemala.
The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It m ...
,
Sacatepéquez
Sacatepéquez () was a city in Guatemala from November 21, 1542 until July 29, 1773 when it was destroyed by the Santa Marta earthquake. Sacatepéquez means ''grasshill'' and gave its name to the Sacatepéquez Department.
Sacatepéquez and Antig ...
,
Totonicapán) and at their central site in Chimaltenango. After lunch there are
raffle
A raffle is a gambling competition in which people obtain numbered tickets, each of which has the chance of winning a prize. At a set time, the winners are drawn at random from a container holding a copy of each number. The drawn tickets are che ...
s, with prizes such as motorcycles, bicycles, televisions, DVD players, and household appliances. At 4 p.m. there is an open-air concert at the park in the center of Chimaltenango, again with raffles and prizes, and from 7 p.m. there are fireworks competitions.
Mexico
In
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, the celebration of the Holy Cross began at the dawn of the 16th century, when captain
Juan de Grijalva
Juan de Grijalva (; born c. 1490 in Cuéllar, Crown of Castile – 21 January 1527 in Honduras) was a Spanish conquistador, and a relative of Diego Velázquez.Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, He went to Hispanio ...
gave the name ''Isla de la Santa Cruz'' to the island now known as
Cozumel
Cozumel (; yua, Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucat ...
,
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...
. The holiday is celebrated in Mexico mainly by guilds and unions involved in construction. A cross adorned with flowers and paper is placed in a high position on a building in the process of construction. The workers then celebrate with local cuisine and alcoholic beverages such as
tequila
Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...
,
mezcal
Mezcal (, ), sometimes spelled mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. The word ''mezcal'' comes from Nahuatl , which means "oven-cooked agave", from and .What is MezcalElmezcal.org Traditionally the word " ...
, and local beer.
Peru
*
Junín (
Junín Province
Junín Province is a province in northwestern Junín Region, in the central highlands of Peru. Its capital is the city of Junín.
Geography
The territory of the province is mountainous and it includes Lake Junin which is the largest lake entire ...
,
Junín Region Junín may refer to:
Places Argentina
*Junín Partido
** Junín, Buenos Aires
*** Junín Airport
* Junín Department, Mendoza
** Junín, Mendoza
* Junín Department, San Luis
*Junín de los Andes, Neuquén
Colombia
*Junín, Cundinamarca
*Jun ...
)
*
Cerro de Pasco
Cerro de Pasco is a city in central Peru, located at the top of the Andean mountains. It is the capital of the Pasco region, and an important mining center. At elevation, it is one of the highest cities in the world, and the highest or the sec ...
(
Pasco Province
The Pasco Province is one of the three provinces that make up the Pasco Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city Cerro de Pasco.
Boundaries
*North: Huánuco Region
*East: Oxapampa Province
*South: Junín Region
*West: Lima Regio ...
,
Pasco Region
Pasco () is a department and region in central Peru. Its capital is Cerro de Pasco.
Political division
The region is divided into 3 provinces ( es, provincias, singular: ), which are composed of 28 districts (''distritos'', singular: ''distrito ...
)
*
Huancayo
Huancayo (; in qu, label=Wanka Quechua, Wankayuq , '(place) with a (sacred) rock') is the capital of Junín Region, in the central highlands of Peru.
Location
Huancayo is located in Huancayo Province, of which it is also the capital. Si ...
(
Huancayo Province
Huancayo Province is located in Peru. It is one of the 9 provinces composing the Junín Region. It borders to the north with the Concepción Province, the east with the Satipo Province, the south with the Huancavelica Region and the west with the ...
, Junín Region)
*
Amazonas Region
*
Chupaca Province (Junín Region)
*
Ayacucho
Ayacucho (, qu, Ayak'uchu) is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.
During the Inca Empire and Viceroyalty of Peru periods the city was known by the name of Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga), and it c ...
(
Huamanga Province
Huamanga is a province in the northern part of the Ayacucho Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Ayacucho.
Political division
The province covers and is divided into fifteen districts:
* Ayacucho (Ayacucho)
* Acocro ( Aco ...
,
Ayacucho Region)
*
Puno
Puno (Aymara and qu, Punu) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was establish ...
(
Puno Province
Puno is a province in the Puno Region, in southeastern Peru. It borders the provinces of Huancane, San Román, El Collao and the Moquegua Region's province of General Sánchez Cerro. Its capital is the city of Puno, which is located at the e ...
,
Puno Region
Puno () is a department and region in southeastern Peru. It is the fifth largest department in Peru, after Cuzco, Madre de Dios, Ucayali, and Loreto. It is bordered by Bolivia on the east, the departments of Madre de Dios on the north, Cusco ...
)
*
Huancavelica
Huancavelica () or Wankawillka in Quechua is a city in Peru. It is the capital of the department of Huancavelica and according to the 2017 census had a population of 49,570 people. The city was established on August 5, 1572 by the Viceroy ...
(
Huancavelica Region
Huancavelica () is a department and region in Peru with an area of and a population of 347,639 ( 2017 census). The capital is the city Huancavelica. The region is bordered by the departments of Lima and Ica in the west, Junín in the north, ...
)
*
Ica Region
Ica (; qu, Ika) is a department and region of Peru. It borders the Pacific Ocean on the west; the Lima Region on the north; the Huancavelica and Ayacucho regions on the east; and the Arequipa Region on the south. Its capital is the city of Ic ...
*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tacna y Moquegua
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tacna and Moquegua ( la, Dioecesis Tacnensis et Moqueguensis) is a suffragan diocese of the Metropolitan bishop, Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Arequipa, Archdiocese of Arequipa in southern Peru, comprisi ...
, comprising the lay administrative regions
Tacna Region
Tacna (; Aymara & Quechua: Taqna) is the southernmost department and region in Peru. The Chilean Army occupied the present-day Tacna Department during the War of the Pacific from 1885 to 1929 when it was reincorporated into Peruvian soil.
Geogr ...
and
Moquegua region
Moquegua () is a department and region in southern Peru that extends from the coast to the highlands. Its capital is the city of Moquegua, which is among the main Peruvian cities for its high rates of GDP and national education.
Geography
The ...
Venezuela
*
Choroní
Choroní is a coastal locality in the far north of the municipality of Girardot, Aragua state, Venezuela. It is located on the outskirts of the coastal mountain range. This mountain range makes up the essence of the Henri Pittier National Park
...
,
Aragua State
Aragua State ( es, Estado Aragua, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It is located in the north-central region of Venezuela. It has plains and jungles and Caribbean beaches. The most popular are Cata and Choroni. It has Venezuela's first n ...
has a celebration of great importance and tradition. The entire village and many visitors have a large festival on the Caribbean shore and dance to drums until dawn in honor of the Cruz de Mayo.
*
Guatire
Guatire is a city in Miranda (state), Miranda, Venezuela. In 2006, its population has been estimated at 200,417. Today, Guatire has virtually merged with its neighbour, Guarenas forming the Guarenas-Guatire conurbation.
Located in Miranda Stat ...
,
Miranda State
Miranda State ( es, link=no, Estado Miranda, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela and the second most populous after Zulia State. As of the 2011 census, it had a population of 2,675,165 residents. It also has the greatest Human Development Inde ...
has had a cross as its
patron
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
since its foundation in the 17th century. The cross is known as
Santa Cruz de Pacairigua, after the
Pacairigua River, which runs through the city. The sculptured cross resides in the parish church of Guatire, and its festival is 3 May
* In the
east of Venezuela and in the
Barlovento of
Miranda vigils are held for the Cruz de Mayo in which the cross is adorned and praised with
fulías and
décimas.
El Salvador
![Decorated cross with offerings during the Day of the Cross, El Salvador](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Decorated_cross_with_offerings_during_the_Day_of_the_Cross%2C_El_Salvador.jpg)
In
El Salvador, the ''Day of the Cross'' ("Día de la Cruz" in Spanish), as it is known, is celebrated on May 3. This celebration is not considered an official government or church holiday; it only marks the beginning of the "wet" or rainy season in winter. It is a tradition that dates back to prehispanic times during which the indigenous people of the region (
Pipiles) offered food to give thanks to the gods and Mother Earth for what they provided. The cross was added when the tradition fused with
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
during the colonial period. The cross is made from wood, and decorated with flowers and long chains of colorful tissue paper. Fruits, grains, vegetables, drinks, candies and sometimes money are placed at the foot of the cross as offerings. Visitors to the household are invited to take offerings with them after they kneel in front of the cross and recite a thanksgiving prayer.
Trinidad
In
Lopinot
Lopinot is a village in Trinidad and Tobago.
It is located in the foothills of the Northern Range, just north of Arouca. It is governed by the Tunapuna–Piarco Regional Corporation. Lopinot, the area which was named after (1738–1819) is loc ...
,
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
,
parang
Parang is a popular folk music originating from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago that was brought to Trinidad and Tobago by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian, Spanish, Mestizo, Pardo, and African heritage, something which ...
is performed at the Cruz de Mayo (May Cross) festival, a ritual whose performance strongly mirrors the contemporary Santa Rosa Festival and was likely the source of its patterning. The Cruz de Mayo celebrates the month of Mary, and is also when the maypole is performed, which has even more significance for the Caribs as it was amalgamated into their traditions of weaving the sebucán, their cassava strainer (the dance around the maypole, weaving the ribbons together, is seen as mimicking the weaving of the sebucán).
Review of the Indigenous Caribbean
accessed 2012-08-28.
References
External links
*
Fiestas de la Santa Cruz de Feria (Badajoz)
declared by the Spanish government as an event of National Touristic Interest
*
declared by the Spanish government as an event of National Touristic Interest
*
Fiesta de las cruces en Torrelaguna (Community of Madrid)
*
* {{in lang, es}
Cruces de Mayo de Córdoba
Catholic holy days
May observances