BROUGHT by the tropical climate and bloom of flowers, May signifies the festive and colorful celebration of Flores de Mayo, and for most Filipino Catholics, this means preparing for religious festivals decorated by the abundance of flowers.  

But the celebration is much more than tossing petals and inhaling the sweet, nectar scent of flowers.  

Rev. Fr. Paul Reagan Talavera, O.P., parish priest of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Santísimo Rosario Parish, underscored the difference between the Flores de Mayo celebration and the Santacruzan procession that Filipino Catholics continue to mix up. 

“Flores de Mayo is a devotion that we have in honor of the Blessed Mother,” Talavera said. “Because we know every May is when the flowers bloom [...] kaya parang it’s a thanksgiving to the Blessed Mother, ‘yong buong May na yan.” 

According to Talavera, this should not be confused with the Santacruzan procession, which is done to honor Saint Helena, more known as Santa Elena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great and the founder of the True Cross of Jesus Christ. 

He added that the only reason why the two events are done either consecutively or at the same time is because the original celebration for the finding of the True Cross was also celebrated in May.  

“Hindi sila connected. It just so happened that before, the traditional Feast of the Cross was celebrated on May 3, kaya may Santacruzan,” Talavera told the Manila Forefront. 

This traditional date was removed by Pope John XXIII in 1960, so that the Catholic Church now celebrates both the finding and the exaltation of the True Cross on September 14.  

Other nations however, such as Mexico, other Latin American countries, and the Philippines, continue to celebrate the finding of the True Cross in May. 

While there is nothing wrong with continuing to celebrate Santacruzan, Talavera expressed concern that the procession or sagala, merely becomes a pageantry for Filipinos. 

“Kasi ang naging ano ng sagala, parang naging beauty pageant na. So, how do [we bring] back the original catechetical element of that procession?” Talavera asked. 

Elaine Cao, who represented Saint Helena in the Santacruzan procession of Barangay 413 in Sampaloc, Manila last May 5, confessed that she first thought both Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan were similar events. 

“This celebration should still be continued; however, Catholics should be well aware of the true purpose of the celebration,” Cao said. “It should not be perceived as a mere pageantry, [as] it is called a religious celebration in order to strengthen our faith [in] God.” 

Her Saint Helena gown, which was in the shade of silver, was far from the usual red, blue, and gold clothing that Saint Helena is usually seen wearing in Catholic images.  

To bring back the true meaning of the two processions, Talavera aims to hold a procession centering around the litany of the Blessed Mary for the UST Parish this Flores de Mayo. 

“‘Yong mga bata, pwedeng mayroon silang sash na nakasulat doon ‘yong titles ni Mary, or, pwedeng may dala-dala silang symbol,” Talavera said. 

But more than that, the parish priest emphasized that the activities must also be given context for Filipino Catholics to understand the reason for these events. 

“Dapat maturuan ‘yong mga bata, anong ibig sabihin ng symbol na ‘yun? Para at least malaman nila, ah, okay, ang dinadala pala natin, mga titles ni Mary,” he added. 

Heat, new academic calendar hits Flores de Mayo 

For the UST Parish, Talavera said that the activities done by the Church to celebrate Flores de Mayo are similar to other parishes: teaching of the Catholic catechism to children, praying of the rosary, followed by the offering of flowers to the Virgin Mary, and then a procession of the Virgin Mary usually done at the end of May. 

Children who complete all 31 days of catechism, prayer, and offering of flowers will receive a complete set of school supplies from the parish for free.  

But while these activities were formerly done every day for the month of May, this year’s Flores de Mayo has been affected by the rising heat index and the change of the academic calendar. 

“After the pandemic, nag-change ang calendar ng mga estudyante. So biglang nagkaroon ng klase ang May na supposed to be noon [ay] bakasyon [kaya] nakakapunta pa ang mga bata,” Talavera explained.  

This prompted the parish to do their daily Flores de Mayo activities every weekend instead, starting in 2023.  

However, this year’s dangerous summer temperatures have brought a new challenge for churches, including the UST Parish who conduct their Flores de Mayo activities starting at 2:00 p.m. to make way for their 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. mass every weekend. 

“Dahil sa sobrang init, we decided to cancel it. So wala na ‘yong mga bata, pero nandyan pa rin ‘yong pag-o-offer ng flowers kay Mama Mary, saka ‘yong pag-rorosary ng mga religious organizations. So, hanggang ngayon, wala pa ulit tayong mga bata,” Talavera said.  

One solution that the parish is vying for is to bring the teaching of catechism to the barangays.  

“Para hindi ma-sacrifice ‘yong catechism, kasi ‘yun ang isang mahalagang aspect ng Flores de Mayo natin dito. Of course, [there’s the] offering [of] flowers, but it’s also catechism [for] the kids,” Talavera emphasized. 

More than tradition 

Apart from the religious significance of Flores de Mayo, the month-long event is doubly important to small Filipino businesses that provide services related to the celebration. 

For 25-year-old Arnel Mendenilla, the tradition is something he looks forward to as a florist working in Manila’s famous flower market, Dangwa. 

Working for churches such as the Quiapo Church, Mendenilla has found passion and profit in his more-than-three years of arranging flowers.  

“‘Yong pag-arrange ko ng bulaklak, lalo na pag maraming ginagawa, dito [tayo] kikita eh. Business opportunity siya. Kaya pag may mga okasyon — Undas, Valentines, Flores de Mayo — malaki talaga [‘yong] kinikita,” Mendenilla said. 

According to the florist, most flowers used for Flores de Mayo include carnations, anthuriums, and stargazers in the bright colors of white, red, pink, and orange.   

Hailing from a family of florists, Mendenilla shared the instability of the flower business, especially in seasons where flowers are not in bloom or months with little to no flower-related events. 

“Pag sa mga season na ‘di masyadong kumikita, katulad ng pag maulan o may bagyo, dun kami talo. Kasi ‘yong mga supplier naming taga-probinsya, ‘di makapunta dito,” Mendenilla said. 

“Ang strategy namin pag ganito ay [gawing mura] nalang talaga ‘yong mga bulaklak. Balik-puhunan nalang, at least ‘di masayang ‘yong mga bulaklak,” he added. 

With the looming threat of dangerous storms due to this year’s unbearable heat brought by climate change, the UST parish priest underscored the need to renew the Filipinos’ devotion to the Blessed Mother. 

“Especially now, [nasa] ecological crisis na tayo. We really have to take care of the environment. Lahat, konektado,” Talavera said.  

“So Mama Mary is really teaching us a lot of things, and she continues to intercede for us. Kaya we have to pray to her to help us, especially during these very challenging times,” he added. --- Angeli Ruth R. Acosta (with reports from Lianne Joyce T. Chan)