The Santacruzan & Queens Coronation of the Chicago Dance

The May Santacruzan is a popular religious festival held in many towns and cities throughout the Philippines as the highlight of the month-long celebration of Flores de Mayo during the month of May. It is usually celebrated with a parade of decorated floats and elaborately dressed characters, representing various aspects of the Virgin Mary and other figures. The festival was introduced to the country during the Spanish period and continues to be celebrated byFilipinos all over the world. According to popular legend, St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, went to Calvary 300 years after Christ’s death to search for Christ’s cross. At the site of the crucifixion, she unearthed three crosses, and had her sick servant lie down on each one. Upon touching one of the three, the servant was cured; this cross was determined to be Christ’s.