JUST A THOUGHT: “All that counts in life is intention.”– Andrea Bocelli
*
UNIQUE PURPOSE: The Maytime novena festival, Flores de Mayo, serves a unique purpose in the dreary lives of rural folk.
Farming families usually pray for rain on such occasions even as teenagers turn to the nightly prayer gathering as a time for bonding, if not courtship.
The procession usually takes place on the ninth night if one followed the 9-day prayer. Communities which opt for the longer celebration mount theirs on the last day of May, when well-dressed ladies and gentlemen of the town reenact the characters behind the search for the holy cross of Christ as found by St. Helena.
*
THE CHARACTERS: The procession is led by a cart carrying Methusela, an old character who tosses grains of sand in a pan, reminding people that everything will turn to dust.
Methusela is followed by Reyna Banderada, symbolizing the introduction of Christianity to pagan land.
The pagans are represented by Aetas in what seems like a chronology of events in Philippine history.
The Aetas are followed by Reyna Mora, representing Islam, the dominant religion in the islands before Christianization.
Following in quick succession are Reyna Fe (faith), Reyna Esperanza (hope), and Reyna Caridad (charity).
Other characters: Reyna Abogada, wearing a graduation gown; Reyna Sentenciada, symbolizing innocent convicts; Reyna Justicia, symbol for justice; Reyna Judith carries the severed head of a man.
Other Reynas are called Reyna Sheba, Reyna Esther, and Veronica, the sweet one who wiped the face of Jesus.
Finally, the star of the celebration is Reyna Elena, St. Helena.
Carrying a small wooden cross, she is escorted by her son, Constantine the Great.
