2024 Flores De Mayo in Frankfurt
Flores de Mayo Festival, also known as the May Flower festival, is a popular religious festival in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary being the Mystical Rose in the Garden, as the Litany of Loretto mentions. She is the Flower of May – La Flores de Mayo.
Flores de Mayo is held in every town in May all around the country. It is a way to express devotion to the Virgin Mary and to ask for her intercession. The festival also provides a sense of community and brings people together. The tradition dates back to the Spanish colonial period in the 16th century when the Catholic Church introduced Marian devotion to the Philippines. The festival includes the Holy mass, religious procession, floral offerings, music, dance, food, and community gathering.
The Santacruzan procession is the highlight of the festival. It reenacts the search for the Holy Cross by Empress Helena and symbolizes the triumph of Christianity over paganism. This is protrayed by a colorful procession of Queens with the singing Marian Hymns. Streets are adorned with colorful buntings, flowers, and lights, creating a festive atmosphere.
The Sagala and Hermana represents the women personify the titles of the Virgin Mary, some Biblical figures, and historic characters that are important in the Filipino Catholic faith. Each Reina carry or holds an object which symbolizes their character. They personify christian virtues of faith, hope and charity.
The Reyna Elena is escorted by a young boy, Constantino, who represents the young Constantine the Great, the son of Helena. The story of Saint Helena of Constantine is very important because it explains why Filipino Catholics celebrate Santacruzan. The Santacruzan play-procession, celebrates Queen Helena´s discovery of the cross of Christ.
The ‘queens’ or Reynas typically wear traditional Filipino dresses called “Maria Clara” dresses or “terno” dresses. These traditional clothing are usually adorned with intricate embroidery and lace, and they often have butterfly sleeves. Women may also wear traditional accessories such as fans, shawls, or flower crowns. For men, the traditional Barong tagalog which combines the precolonial native Filipino and colonial Spanish clothing styles.
The Filipino Community in the Diocese of Limburg continues to cherish this cultural and religious heritage. Flores de Mayo or Santacruzan is about thanksgiving, remembering who we are, where we came from. We are a nation who love the Virgin Mary so much, a nation who honor, respect and treasure our culture and traditions as a way of attaining holiness. Above all, we are a nation who adore Jesus because by his Holy Cross, he has redeemed the world.
/
