Page Title
Santacruzan: Its significance then and now
Heidi M. Pascual*
Publisher & Editor
* 2006 Journalist of the
Year for the State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)
Publisher & Editor
* 2006 Journalist of the
Year for the State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)
By Heidi M. Pascual
The Philippines, as the only Christian nation in Southeast Asia, celebrates most of the many feasts and
traditions of the religion. In the months of May and June, streets are sometimes closed to give way to religious
parades featuring bands that play church music and carts that carry symbols of the Catholic faith. These events
are ways to remind people about their spiritual obligations and to invite them to go to church. The most prominent
of these celebrations after the Lenten Season is the “Santacruzan.”
The Santacruzan is the commemoration of the finding of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena, mother of
Constantine the Great. According to the story, Queen Helena found it in Jerusalem and brought it to Rome. As we
know, Constantine was then a newly converted Christian, so the celebration was one of the biggest ever held in
Rome at the time.
This celebration is replicated many times over, every year, in various parts of the country. Before the actual
day of the celebration, there is a nine-day novena (prayers) in church in honor of the Holy Cross. The excitement
reaches its peak when the festival arrives. During the day, the church is decorated with flowers (Flores de Mayo)
to celebrate the coming of the rainy days that will nourish the incoming crops. The flowers represent the
gratefulness of a people dependent on rain for their harvests. The parade or procession, is usually done at night in
neighborhoods, towns, and cities, where families are deemed together in their homes. The parade prominently
features sagalas or beautiful young ladies in the community (or movie actresses in big metropolitan cities)
The Philippines, as the only Christian nation in Southeast Asia, celebrates most of the many feasts and
traditions of the religion. In the months of May and June, streets are sometimes closed to give way to religious
parades featuring bands that play church music and carts that carry symbols of the Catholic faith. These events
are ways to remind people about their spiritual obligations and to invite them to go to church. The most prominent
of these celebrations after the Lenten Season is the “Santacruzan.”
The Santacruzan is the commemoration of the finding of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena, mother of
Constantine the Great. According to the story, Queen Helena found it in Jerusalem and brought it to Rome. As we
know, Constantine was then a newly converted Christian, so the celebration was one of the biggest ever held in
Rome at the time.
This celebration is replicated many times over, every year, in various parts of the country. Before the actual
day of the celebration, there is a nine-day novena (prayers) in church in honor of the Holy Cross. The excitement
reaches its peak when the festival arrives. During the day, the church is decorated with flowers (Flores de Mayo)
to celebrate the coming of the rainy days that will nourish the incoming crops. The flowers represent the
gratefulness of a people dependent on rain for their harvests. The parade or procession, is usually done at night in
neighborhoods, towns, and cities, where families are deemed together in their homes. The parade prominently
features sagalas or beautiful young ladies in the community (or movie actresses in big metropolitan cities)
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representing the court of Queen
Helena. The last of the queens in the
parade is always, of course, Queen
Helena or Reina Elena. The ladies and
their escorts are dressed up in the
most appropriate clothes befitting
royalty. In the Philippines, it is
customary for the ladies to wear
formal Filipino gowns and for men, the
famous barong Tagalog.
The local festival also features
additional personalities not officially in
the original roster of the church. The
parade somehow touches on the
history of the Philippines. For example,
some parades include a “dark,
aborigine” representing the Aetas, the
indigenous pagan people of the
country long before the coming of
Christianity; “Reyna Mora,” the female
Muslim queen, representing the
Muslim religion, the dominant religion
before the Spaniards came and
introduced Christianity; and ladies
representing “virtues” of faith, charity,
hope, and justice. All in all, the parade
is always a sight to behold.
The procession is always
accompanied by a band or rondalla
playing church music such as Dios Te
Salve, and the singers are the people
who join the procession, carrying
lighted candles and wearing the
Helena. The last of the queens in the
parade is always, of course, Queen
Helena or Reina Elena. The ladies and
their escorts are dressed up in the
most appropriate clothes befitting
royalty. In the Philippines, it is
customary for the ladies to wear
formal Filipino gowns and for men, the
famous barong Tagalog.
The local festival also features
additional personalities not officially in
the original roster of the church. The
parade somehow touches on the
history of the Philippines. For example,
some parades include a “dark,
aborigine” representing the Aetas, the
indigenous pagan people of the
country long before the coming of
Christianity; “Reyna Mora,” the female
Muslim queen, representing the
Muslim religion, the dominant religion
before the Spaniards came and
introduced Christianity; and ladies
representing “virtues” of faith, charity,
hope, and justice. All in all, the parade
is always a sight to behold.
The procession is always
accompanied by a band or rondalla
playing church music such as Dios Te
Salve, and the singers are the people
who join the procession, carrying
lighted candles and wearing the
almost forgotten church veils.
I witnessed a Santacruzan in my neighborhood one night in late May. People gathered up the
streets to watch and supposedly pray in commemoration of the Holy Cross. I truly hope they did,
as I did. I hope they did not get detracted by the excitement of watching the beauty and glamour
of the sagalas, and their dashing escorts.
I witnessed a Santacruzan in my neighborhood one night in late May. People gathered up the
streets to watch and supposedly pray in commemoration of the Holy Cross. I truly hope they did,
as I did. I hope they did not get detracted by the excitement of watching the beauty and glamour
of the sagalas, and their dashing escorts.
