One of the most beautiful parts of moving is diving deep into the culture of your new home. In these past 6 months, I celebrated the Three Kings, learned about La Feria, and most recently – Cruz de Mayo. Cruz de Mayo (Dia de La Cruz) is one of Andalucia’s most popular festivals and dates back to the 17th century. Celebrated every May 3rd, this festival celebrates the day St. Helen found the real crucifix (cruce) of Jesus. The traditions have, overall, been the same throughout the centuries. From crucifix competitions to traditional attire, and flamenco shows – keep reading to learn more about the holiday, my personal experience, and my learnings!
Tradition
There are various aspects and traditions that go into celebrating this lovely day. The main tradition is the floral crucifixes and their setups, which are placed around the city. People gather around the cruces to admire them, and to have a good time – with music, dancing, and drinks.
Not only is this day a festival, but it is also a contest for the best-decorated cross, for which the Town Hall is the judge.
Traditionally, when it comes to attire, women, and girls wear flamenco dresses, while men and boys wear the traje de corto. I’ve noticed that oftentimes if someone wasn’t wearing the traditional outfits, they would wear something that resembled them – such as a dress or skirt with polka dots. Traditional attire is not obligatory, but is definitely the perfect opportunity to bring out your outfits!
The Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) of Granada, will set up a stage in its plaza for people to perform the beautiful flamenco art. When I visited in the morning, I saw women and girls of all ages dancing beautifully.
My Experience
I started the day off by venturing around the city of Granada. My goal during this walk was to visit the crucifixes, enjoy flamenco shows, and surround myself with locals. It’s safe to say that the vibes were immaculate. From sunny skies to people laughing and endless traditional outfits – how could it get any better?
Visiting Granada’s Cruces
Monasterio de San Jeronimo’s Cruce
This was the first crucifix I visited, and I couldn’t have loved it more! The Monastery’s crucifix was made of roses and the setup included various ornaments and decorations. Traditional flamenco music was playing out loud, people gathered around the setup to admire all the details, while others were grabbing beers and tapas.
In the late afternoon, this became a hotspot for university students and young adults. Due to this, in the future, I highly recommend visiting before lunchtime so you can enter easily and have space to breathe.😂
Plaza del Carmen Cruce & Flamenco Shows
This was the second crucifix I visited, and I loved seeing how different it was from the Monastery’s setup. Plaza del Carmen is the City Hall’s square and was the most populated cruce so far. Not only did the City Hall have a cruce set up, but they had a stage where Flamencas of all ages performed – from toddlers to older women. Seeing the Flamencas dance was easily one of the main highlights of the day, along with sharing that moment with strangers. I mean… how neat is it that you’re making the same memories with strangers that are there for the same reasons as you?
San Juan de Dios Museum’s Cruce
This was the last cruce I found, and it was inside the patio of the San Juan de Dios Museum.
Something particularly beautiful in this setup was the floral decorations, vases, and fountain.
Dressing like a Flamenca Post-Lunch
My boyfriend and his family are Spanish, from the Andalucian region. Due to this, many of the amazing experiences I’ve had so far are because of them and what they’ve taught me. My boyfriend’s mom let me wear her flamenco dress and accessories, and she also did my hair. I couldn’t be more thankful for her letting me borrow her beautiful dress, and helping me get ready.
On my walk around the city, dressed as a Flamenca, a minimum of six strangers photographed me. Some with professional cameras and others with their iPhones. One tourist even asked me if I could stop for a picture.
Something that was incredibly wholesome was the strangers smiling at me, appreciating my outfit.
I have to ask…
Would you attend this festival? And out of the three crosses I shared, which one would you pick as the winner? Let me know in the comments!😊
If you enjoyed this blog and learning about Cruz de Mayo, share this with family and friends!❤️
If this holiday sparked your interest in visiting Granada, here are 14 other reasons why Granada is worth visiting!
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