Santacruzan

(Boom-boom and Me)

May is the time for the Flores de Mayo and the Santacruzan.

Short lesson....

The month of May signals the start of Flores de Mayo. Young people offer flower garlands to the Virgin Mary all through the month. At the end of the month, there is a procession of young women who represent the titles of the Virgin Mary ( you know, like in the litany?) and at the end of the procession, there is a woman representing St. Helena (who is credited with finding the cross of Jesus Christ) along with a young boy representing St. Helena's son, Constantine ( who became Emperor of Rome and made Christianity the official religion of Rome). After them comes a large float holding a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Anyway, I explain this because May in the year I turned 15, I was asked to be part of the Santacruzan procession. Mom's Aunts in Bulacan decided to enter me in their Santacruzan programme. It was a bit strange because they did not follow "rules" and so, instead of titles of the Virgin Mary, they just basically wrote Reyna followed by our own names.

I don't know why.

Anyway, Mom was so excited. So was Tita Virgie. As soon as the invitation was offered, they started looking around for gowns and all sorts of stuff that we were going to need.

You know, stuff that would make me Oh-So-Glamorous...

Tita Virgie was once Reyna Elena in this same town. It was years and years ago and she remembers it fondly. Tatay, who had been very strict, had to be bamboozled into thinking she was somewhere else just so Nanay and her sisters could take Tita Virgie away to Bulacan for the procession.

We went around the town and found a place where people could rent ball gowns. I saw this really nice white and silver trimmed gown, floor length, with great big puffed sleeves. (Anne Shirley of Green Gables would have been envious)

It fit surprisingly well the first fitting that we agreed that this was the gown I would wear for the event.

We then proceeded to look for the jewelry to match. You know. The tiara and everything...

(Hmmm. I just realized I am one of a very select group of people who have worn an actual tiara in an actual event. Yeah, it was on loan and made of crystals rather than diamonds but still...)

So I had my tiara, my matching dangling earrings, my necklace, bracelet and ring. All that, and one more thing I really loved wearing.

Mama's long white gloves.

She had a pair. Who would have thought? I had no idea why she had them, she just did. She didn't explain why she had them neither. I just loved thinking of what possible events she went to, to have need of a pair of elbow length white gloves. It had a bit of a lace trim at the end and was a bit too tight for me but it was still very cool. Very Old World-y.

(Tita Virgie, Me and Eric peeking out from behind us)

The day of the event, I had to get my face on, my hair done and had to pick up my poor escort who had to walk with me the two entire kilometers from the beginning to the end of the procession.

Mom was so hyped up...she even asked Tito Tony for the loan of this big portable spotlight/flashlight that I think was meant to be used under water...you know, when scuba diving. It was really glaringly bright.

So we started walking.

It was kind of strange, walking, with spotlights on you, smiling and waving at strangers. We walked through a very dark road bordered by large fields on both sides. People were all along the deserted road watching and waving, and occasionally cheering when they saw a familiar neighbor or relative all dressed up.

I had a couple of cousins who walked alongside me, who would point out various members of our family. People I've barely met who are so happy to have me be part of the procession.

But you know the saying...."It's hard to be beautiful?"

It applies to every single person on display that night.

(The Procession)

Do you know what happens in a very large dark place lit by a very bright light?

Think about it. It's pitch black and spooky, and you are in a large open field in the middle of the night.

Only, in this sea of darkness, there is an extremely bright light all glowing and shiny.

Given that you're not having a near death experience, what else goes towards the light?

Yep! That's right.

Bugs.

(swishing for bugs)

Hundreds of them...all buzzing, creeping, and flying, up, around, and on my brightly lit and glowing, white dress.

I spent nearly all of the two kilometers we had to walk, twirling about trying to get the bugs off of me.

I'm really not the sort that creeps out easily so when I mean a lot of bugs, I mean a lot of bugs.

Grasshoppers, moths, roaches, loads of others...insects I don't even know the names for.

I'm telling you...I was so glad that I was wearing a floor length dress and gloves to boot. I felt really sorry for the ladies who had spaghetti straps and mid-length dresses on. Can you imagine?

But of course, we could not ruin the process and so we just kept on walking and smiling and trying to unobtrusively flick bugs away.

Two kilometers never seemed so far.

At the end of the of the procession, I ran straight into my Tita's house to take my dress off. I took off the gown and shook off all the creepy crawlies that were able to get into my dress. (Eewe!)

It was an experience never to be forgotten...

Never again will I look at a Santacruzan the same way. Each and every May that passes, year after year. I will probably never again see another procession without thinking that swarms of insects are on its way to join in on the parade.