MAY CROSSES

The May Crosses Festival (Cruces de Mayo) is celebrated in many parts of the
world, especially in Latin America and Spain. And in Spain, the festival holds
special importance in many parts of Andalucia,

HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL

The May Crosses Festival celebrated in Andalucia is probably one of the most
interesting festivals, not only today, but in historical terms. As legend has it, St
Constantine's mother, the much-venerated St Helen, is the founder of this
festival, which shows special respect for the cross upon which Jesus was
crucified.

As the story goes, in the fourth century AD, St Helen went to Jerusalem in
search of the cross, after her son Constantine dreamed of a cross that would
help him win a battle he was losing at the time. He ordered his troops to build
him a large cross, which they then carried into battle and conquered their
enemy. This inspired a family conversion to Christianity and a search for the
real cross, led by St Helen. She found three crosses, and to establish which one
was authentic, she carried out tests to see which could perform miracles. Only
one of them did, healing the sick and even bringing the dead back to life. St
Helen then became a champion for the cross, urging people to continue
worshipping even after her death.

And so this veneration of the cross is the motive for the May Crosses Festivals
that are celebrated in so many countries.

MAY IN CÓRDOBA - FLOWERS ON FLOATS, ON CROSSES

AND IN PATIOS

Springtime brings flowers galore to Córdoba, starting with a parade at the

beginning of May called La Batalla de las Flores ("the Battle of the Flowers").
This sees a long procession of flower-covered floats, with women dressed in
traditional gypsy dresses throwing flowers into the crowd. Next come the two
main floral events, starting off with the May Crosses, followed by the Patio
Contests , and finally the Spring Feria. All this is accompanied by a host of
cultural events - all kinds of music, theatre, flamenco and contemporary dance.

WHEN DOES THE FESTIVAL HAPPEN AND WHAT IS IT?

The May Crosses festival in Córdoba lasts four days, always at the end of
April/beginning of May. It is actually more than a festival - it is also a contest,
with 40 or so Catholic hermandades (brotherhoods) and neighbourhood
associations competing for prizes for the best-decorated cross from the
Ayuntamiento (town hall). The competition began in 1953, but the tradition of
decorating the crosses dates back to the 18th century. The preparations take
place secretly in the preceding months, with all the women and children from
each street or neighbourhood joining in with the decorating of their cross,
singing or dancing as they work. In older times it was an excuse for young
single people to meet.

The competitors are arranged into three districts: the artistic-historic area, the
modern areas and the recintos cerrados (patios). The crosses are judged
according to four criteria: the decoration of the cross itself, the floral variety
used, the lighting, and use of existing environmental elements (trees, walls etc),
with representatives from each hermandad and neighbourhood acting as judges
to vote on the best-dressed cross.

WHAT DO THE CROSSES LOOK LIKE?

The crosses are about three metres high, decorated with flowers, usually in red
or white (occasionally green and/or yellow), and sometimes with more foliage
emerging from the upper part of the cross, including its three points, or patterns
imposed on the base colour. The effect is further enhanced by more flowers
(often pink and white) in pots in a carefully arranged pattern to complement the
cross, hanging on the wall behind it, placed at its foot, or going up the steps on
which it sits.