Santacruzan

 

In many places in the Philippines, during the month of May, many processions are held in honor of the Virgin Mary. Sometimes, one is reminded only that it is the month of May when one meets such a procession downtown or in a sidestreet of the city. That is the Santa Cruz de Mayo. Many versions of the procession have evolved through the years. And this makes it interesting to find out what it was really like inthe time of our grandfathers.

The Santacruzan was a novena procession commemorating St. Helena's mythical finding of the cross. St. Helena was the mother of Constantine the Great. According to legends, 300 years after the death of Christ, at the age of 75, she went to Calvary to conduct a search for the Cross. After some archeological diggings at the site of the Crucifixion, she unearthed three crosses. She tested each one by making a sick servant lie on all three. The cross where the servant recovered was identified as Christ's. St. Helena's feast day falls on August 8 but the anniversary of the finding of the Cross is on May 3rd, in the Philippines, this celebration took the form of the Mexican Santa Cruz de Mayo.

As another legend puts it, Constantine the Great, facing a battle against the Mighty Roman Emperor, Maxentius in the year 312 A.D. turned despairingly to the new Christian God for help. Constantine cast his eyes heavenwards and saw in the nightsky a glowing sign of the cross with the words "In hoc signia vincit", meaning "By this sign thou shalt conquer". He adopted the Cross as his battle insignia with the words and forthwith went to vanquish the Roman Army and entered Rome a victor, pledging his faith in Christianity.

The Santacruzan is a procession that differs from most other religious processions in that it does not parade images of patron saints. Instead, biblical and historical characters are represented by the local people dressed in appropriate costumes.Nine days of prayer, (a novena) in honor of the Holy Cross preceds the Santacruzan. On the 9th night, the procession is long and colorful. Bamboo clappers herald the procession led by the bearded Methuselah, bent with age, riding a cart where he is toasting grains of sand in a pan over a fire. This is a reminder to everyone that all that glitters will end up as dust like the sand he is toasting. Behind him walks the Banderada, a lady in red carrying a miniature Philippine flag, symbolizing the Christian army. Next follow half-clad boys, their bodies blackened with soot, representing the Negritos or the Filipino pagans and finally Reina Mora in a Muslim costume representing Muslim Philippines.

Today, the Santacruzan is a cross between a beauty pageant and a religious procession. Now the highest tribute that could be paid to a woman's beauty is to be selected as Reina Elena. Gone are the days when people, candle in hand, crowded the streets to pay homage to a Catholic myth and throw Sampaguitas at the passing beauties. Gone are the days when or could enjoy the dazzling splendor amid; the flowers of May and the smell of burning native candles. The Santacruzan played an important role in the spiritu, and religious life of our forefathers. It was a bayanihan endeavor and a community show. The current Santacruzan is just a remnant of what was once a grandise tradition. But it still lives. And come May, for whatever reason, girls line up th streets in procession, invoking that which is holy, searching for the true Christial spirit.

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By Eileen S. Guerero