Santacruzan

Santacruzan closes Flores de Mayo, the month-long May devotion to the Virgin, and it takes the form of a procession in which young women walk under decorated arches in evening dress, each representing a figure - biblical women, virtues and allegories - escorted by a male partner, with Reyna Elena at the end. Elena is Saint Helena, the mother of Constantine, who by tradition found the True Cross in Jerusalem, and the procession commemorates that discovery: she walks with a small boy as Constantine, carrying a cross. The rest of the queens include Reyna Banderada, Reyna Fe, Reyna Esperanza, Reyna Caridad and a dozen more, and the roles are assigned within the parish, which makes the event as much a community occasion as a religious one - being chosen matters locally. Practices vary enormously between towns, and some Santacruzan have become elaborate pageants while others remain modest parish walks.

What you actually see

• The decorated arches - flower canopies carried over each queen.
• The queens and escorts - biblical and allegorical figures in procession.
• Reyna Elena - the last queen, with the cross and Constantine.
• The parish crowd - the town turning out along the route.

When to go

May, usually the final week - dates are set by each parish, so ask locally. Processions run in the early evening after the heat.

Honest expectations

It is a religious procession, not a show - photography from the route is fine, but stepping into it is not. Scale and style vary enormously by town; some are grand, most are modest.

Nearby

Every town holds one; larger and more elaborate versions run in Bulacan, Pampanga and Metro Manila's older parishes.