Holy Cross Day- 3 May in Teguise
If you’re passing through the royal Village of Teguise these days, you may observe that the 14 crosses distributed throughout the village are decorated with flowers. A great recovered tradition which is celebrated on the third of May, Holy Cross Day.
The Holy Cross celebration came about in the 4th century. The great emperor Constantine confronted the Barbarians in a city near Rome and vanquished them after, according to legend, a bright cross appeared to him in the sky. From the moment of victory Constantine decided that Christianity would be tolerated in the Roman Empire. Supposedly this event occurred on the third of May and from that moment on Holy Cross Day is celebrated throughout the Christian world.
Once the Conquistadores arrived at a village, they would always try to raise a cross where later, a hermitage would be erected.
The Village of Teguise,as the old capital of Lanzarote, had some crosses on the facades of its most important houses. These were adorned with flowers as part of the festivity. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were crosses which were part of the Vía Crucis (Stations of the Cross) which could be found all over the village. The same ones used on Holy (Maundy) Thursday for the Vía Crucis celebration.
Still today, thanks to the restoration of these crosses and to the residents who wish to maintain that tradition, they are still decorated with a canopy of branches every third of May.
The crosses and squares of the Village of Teguise are part of its rich cultural heritage.