"The Queen of May Festivities" (Santacruzan)
The Santacruzan is the pageant on the last day of Flores de Mayo, held in honour of Helena of Constantinople (known as Reyna Elena) and Constantine the Great finding the True Cross in Jerusalem. Its observance in May probably stems from the old Galician date for Roodmas, which was abolished when Pope John XXIII combined it with the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross on 14 September
In the Katagalugan
Amongst the Tagalog people, the custom began after the proclamation of the dogma of the Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception) in 1854 and after the circa 1867 publication of Mariano Sevilla's translation of the devotional "Flores de María" ("Flowers of Mary"), also known by its longer title "Mariquít na Bulaclac nasa Pagninilaynilay sa Buong Buannang Mayo ay Inihahandog nañg mañga Devoto cay María Santísima" ("Beautiful Flowers that in the Meditations in the Whole Month of May are Offered by Devotees to Mary Most Holy").
The Sagalà
A Sagalà is a religio-historical beauty pageant held in many cities, towns, and even in small communities throughout the Philippines during the month of May. One of the most colourful aspects of this festival, the pageant depicts the finding of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. Many movie and television personalities participate in the events and are featured in major sagala.[1] This festival was introduced by the Spaniards and has since become part of Filipino traditions identified with youth, love, and romance.
Prior to the Santacruzan, a novena is held in honour of the Holy Cross. The procession itself commemorates the search of the Holy Cross by Reyna Elena and her son, Emperor Constantine. After the Holy Cross was found in Jerusalem and translated to Constantinople (now İstanbul, Turkey), there was a joyful celebration for thanksgiving.
Order of the procession
The participants of this pageant would follow this typical arrangement:
Biblical Characters and Traditional Personifications
Matusalém (Methuselah) - bearded and bent with age, he is depicted as riding a cart and looking preoccupied with toasting grains of sand in a pan over a fire. This is a reminder that the world is transient and will end up like the dust which he is toasting.
Reyna Banderada (Queen with a Banner) - a young lady dressed in a long red gown, bearing a yellow pennant. She represents the arrival of Christianity.
Aetas - represents the dark-skinned indigenous peoples of the Philippines such as the Aeta and Ati. These aboriginal groups predate the ancestors of today's majority Austronesian Filipinos by tens of thousands of years.
Reyna Mora (Queen Moor) - represents Muslim Filipinos, owing to Mary's status in Islam and mention in the 19th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an. Islam arrived in the Philippines two centuries before Christianity and is now the second largest religion in the country.
Reyna ng Saba (Queen of Sheba) - represents the unnamed queen who visited King Solomon, and was overwhelmed by his wisdom, power, and riches. She carries a jewellery box. She is further associated with the Santacruzan via her inclusion in the Legenda Aurea, in which she discerns the provenance of a wooden plank on a bridge, venerating it and prophesying its future role as part of the True Cross.
Rut at Noemi (Ruth and Naomi) - the Moabite convert to Judaism and her mother-in-law, with whom she was inseparable. Ruth is the ancestress of King David and thus is one of four women listed in the Gospels' genealogies of Jesus Christ.
Reyna Judít (Queen Judith) - represents the Biblical widow Judith of Bethulia, who saved her city from the Assyrians by slaying the cruel general Holofernes. Also known as "Infanta (Princess) Judít", she carries Holofernes' head in one hand and a sword in the other.
Reyna Ester (Queen Esther) - the Jewish queen of Persia, who spared her people from death at the hands of Haman through her timely intervention with King Xerxes. She carries a sceptre.
Cleopatra - represents Cleopatra VII Philopator (69-30 BC), the famous last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Her male escort is often taken to represent the Roman senator and general Mark Antony (83-30 BC).
Samaritana/Sta. Photina (The Female Samaritan) - the Samaritan woman at the well (traditionally named Photini) with whom Christ conversed. She carries a water jug on her shoulder.
Sta. Verónica - the woman who wiped the face of Jesus who bears her Veil; in traditional Hispanic-Filipino iconography, the cloth bears three miraculous imprints of the Holy Face of Jesus instead of one.
Tres Marías (Three Marys) - each Mary holds a unique attribute associated with the Entombment of Christ:
Sta. María Magdalena (Mary Magdalene) - a bottle of perfume, as Catholic tradition once conflated her with Mary of Bethany as the woman who anointed and wiped Jesus' feet.
Sta. María de Cleofás (Mary, the mother of James, wife of Clopas) - bears a bottle of oil, alluding to her role as a Myrrhbearer.
The Blessed Virgin Mary - a handkerchief, for she is in mourning.
Reyna Fé (Queen Faith) - symbolises Faith, the first of the theological virtues. She carries a cross.
Reyna Esperanza (Queen Hope) - symbolises Hope, the second theological virtue. She carries an anchor.
Reyna Caridad (Queen Charity) - symbolises Charity, the third theological virtue. She carries a red-coloured heart.
Reyna Sentenciada (Queen Convicted) - has her hands bound by a rope, she stands for the Early Christians, particularly virgins, who were persecuted and martyred for the faith. She is sometimes accompanied by two Roman soldiers.
Marian Titles
Each figure in this group alludes to a title of the Virgin Mary (usually found in the Litany of Loreto) or to a figure associated with her. Each letter of the angelic salutation "AVE MARÍA" is borne by an "angel"—a girl wearing a long white dress and wings.
Reyna Abogada (Queen Advocate/Lawyer) - defender of the poor and the oppressed, she wears a black mortarboard cap, Graduation gown, and carries a large book. Her appearance is a representation of Mary, Help (Advocate) of Christians. In some Santacruzan processions, the figure of the Doctora ("female doctor") also makes an appearance, which may allude to "Mary, Health of the Sick".
Reyna Justícia (Queen Justice) - a personification of the "Mirror of Justice", her attributes are a weighing scale and a sword.
Divina Pastora (Divine Shepherdess) - bears a shepherd's staff.
Reyna de los Ángeles (Queen of Angels) - bears a bouquet of white flowers, and is escorted by angels.
Luklukan ng Karunungan (Seat of Wisdom) - carries a Bible.
Susì ng Langit (Key of Heaven) - bears two keys, one gold and the other silver, a design adapted from the keys on the Papal arms.
Reyna de las Estrellas (Queen of the Stars) - holds a wand topped with a star.
Rosa Mística (Mystical Rose)- carries a bouquet of roses.
Pusò ni María/Corazón de María (Heart of Mary) - a pink heart.
Reyna del Santísimo Rosario (Queen of the Most Holy Rosary) - she carries a large rosary.
Reyna Luna (Queen Moon) - she represents the moon, which serves as the footstool of Mary as the Woman of the Apocalypse.
Reyna Candelária (Queen of Candles) - she carries a long, lit taper, symbolising the Purification of Mary.
Reyna de la Paz (Queen of Peace) - a dove, real or otherwise.
Reyna de los Patriarcas (Queen of Patriarchs) - bears a wooden rod.
Reyna de los Profetas (Queen of Prophets) - an hourglass.
Reyna de los Confesores (Queen of Confessors) - a scroll.
Reyna de los Mártires (Queen of Martyrs) - the Crown of thorns or a pierced heart, representing the Mater Dolorosa.
Reyna de los Apóstoles (Queen of Apostles) - the palm of martyrdom.
Reyna de los Santos (Queen of Saints) - a golden wreath, symbolic of the crown of the saints.
Reyna del Cielo (Queen of Heaven) - a flower; accompanied by two little "angels".
Reyna de las Vírgenes (Queen of Virgins) - a rosary or a lily, the latter signifying chastity; also escorted by two little "angels".
Reyna de las Flores (Queen of Flowers) - The Queen of the Flores de Mayo. She carries a bouquet of flowers.
Reyna Emperatríz (Queen Empress) - a representation of Saint Helena of Constantinople, particularly of her ttitle Augusta (meaning 'empress' or 'queen mother') which Constantine gave her in 325.
Reyna Elena (Queen Helena) - always the last member of the procession, she represents Saint Helena herself, whose Invention of the True Cross is symbolized by a small cross or crucifix that she carries in her arms. This considerably prestigious role is usually awarded to the most beautiful girl or important matron participating in the pageant. In some communities, the identity of the woman playing Reyna Elena is a closely guarded secret until the event itself, while other places are a bit more accommodating with three Reynas Elenas in their Santacruzan.
Constantíno - the escort of Reyna Elena representing the Emperor Constantine, who is almost always played by a small boy in princely raiment.
The procession is accompanied by the steady beat of a local brass band, playing and singing the Dios te salve (the Spanish version of the Hail Mary). Devotees hold lighted candles and sing the prayer as they walk. It is customary for males participating in the Santacruzan to wear the traditional Barong Tagalog and that the females wear any Filipiniana-inspired dress.
References:
