Flores de Mayo and Santa Cruzan

The highlight of my summer during my childhood days is the Flores de Mayo. It is a festival wherein we offered flowers to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the altar in the church. It’s been an exciting experienced since every morning we were busy picking up flowers especially the santan flower and sew its tiny flowers to make a garland. The flowers and efforts of making a garland is our simple offering to honor Mama Mary. Sometimes we dressed like an angel to escort the one who carry the letters of the word “AVE MARIA.” It was also during the Flores de Mayo where I learned to recite the rosary. 

But the best part of the Flores de Mayo is procession of the Santa Cruzan - the final part of the festival in honour of Reyna Helena. It is more a parade than a religious procession. Instead of icons or images, beautiful young women with appropriate theatrical costumes, portray biblical and historical characters. Almost all sagalas, the persons in the parade, symbolize queens from the past! Each sagala is dressed beautiful and is looking as the 'real' Reyna (Queen)!

In our barrio, our nanay or ate who was with us during the celebration of Flores de Mayo will choose female kids to represent the queens of the past and others are angels that will carry the arc of the reynas (queens). I’m glad I’m one of the chosen to represent one of the historical characters or one of the queens. 

I can still remember that during that time, I felt so beautiful with my long white lace gown and proud of my crown filled with fake crystals on my head. And during the last part of the program my sister gave me a long stemmed red rose’s bouquet, but roses without smell because it’s plastic (LOL) and I'm pleased of it. However, I really felt like a beautiful queen escorted by two angels.

When I scanned my photo album and found my picture during the Santa Cruzan, only did I realize how funny I looked like  (LOL).  Especially looking at the shoes I'm wearing at that time - black and cracking shoes. Maybe my parents or my five sisters forgot to shine the shoes of their little sister. Or perhaps they are too overwhelmed  witth my  make-up,  crystal filled crown, and my long laced white gown. Anyway, like my gown, my crown and my make-up  - it's a beautiful and memorable expeienced of mine!!!!! (LOL)

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It's me escorted with two angels