May | San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines

 

Another age-old tradition that the San Pableños celebrate is the Flores de Maria sometimes also called as Santacruzan held on the month of May, one of the summer months in the Philippines. The Flores de Maria is offering of flowers to the Blessed Virgin Mary done by small girls to teen-aged ones donned in gowns. Before the offering of the flowers, these lovely ladies parade in streets at night. Santacruzan, on the other hand, is a reenactment of the finding of the Holy Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This activity, like the Flores de Maria, included sagalas (muses) wearing beautiful gowns with their consortes (escorts) parading at night accompanied by lights.
 

The highlight of this procession is the Reyna Elena (Queen Helen) and son Constantino (Constatine) who have allegedly found a part of Christ’s Cross. Because a lot of people, specially the local townfolks gather at the city’s main thoroughfair every night of the last week of May to witness these, the San Pablo Tourism Council again thought of a way to make this celebration more enjoyable. Since the celebration falls under the summer months and the students are on vacation, the more people can witness and participate in this festivity.