Cross decorated for Fiesta de la Cruz, in Breña Alta, 2009In the east of La Palma, Holy Cross Day (fiesta de la Cruz) is the biggest festival in spring. They only celebrate it in Santa Cruz, Breña Alta and Breña Baja, and as the name suggests, they decorate the roadside crosses – beautifully. As often happens, the main party is the night before the public holiday. Since most crosses are hung with gold jewelry (among other things) people stay beside them in shifts all night, and all the next day. Most holidaymakers go and admire the crosses on the morning of the 3rd (Monday), but the locals go see the crosses starting at about 11 pm the night before, when it’s cooler and more atmospheric.
Detail of a cross, showing the jewelry.For the last few years, it’s been fairly common to have a few mayos or machangos beside the cross. These are giant rag dolls, almost life sized,something like scarecrows or the guys I used to make for bonfire night. In 2008, Last year,
Santa Cruz had a whole street full of them.
Spiderman, protecting the Cruz del Rosal, Breña Alta, 2010If you’ve got a hire car, the best plan is to go up to San Isidro and follow the crowd down the hill. There are crosses all the way along a very steep lane, which used to be a donkey track. Tonight it’ll be one-way — downhill. (You go up the much newer, asphalted road.) As you approach each cross, you’ll find a small traffic jam. You go past the cross slowly (usually saying, “Oh wow!”) and drive on to the next.
If you haven’t got a car, I recommend a stroll around Santa Cruz, particularly up the older bits. From 10 pm Sunday night until 2 am Monday morning, there will be a public dance (verbena) in the Plaza España at the north end of Santa Cruz, near the concrete ship. And there will be fireworks at midnight at the Castillo de la Virgen in Santa Cruz.
San José cross, Breña Baja, 2010Labels: Breña Alta, Breña Baja, Fiesta de la Cruz, fiestas, Santa Cruz de la Palma
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Cruz de la Piedad, Breña Alta, 2011
Cruz Chica, Breña Alta, 2011
Cruz Centro de Acogida, Breña Alta, 2011, including two mayos
Detail from the Cruz Centro de Acogida, Breña Alta, 2011. The petals are pistachio shells, and behind them, pasta spirals
The Cruz de la Breveritas,, Breña Baja, 2011, with the shelter for locals at the left
The Cruz de El Monte, Breña Baja, 2011
The circle at the left of the Cruz de El Monte
Detail of the apple on the Cruz de El Monte, made of coloured drinking straws, end on
The hand-embroidered heron at the bottom of the Cruz de El Monte
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