The origin of the celebration of May Cross Day is both pagan and religious and Christian.

Regarding the Christian religious origin

According to several historical sources, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on May 3 had been celebrated since the 7th century, which was established by the Fuero Juzgo, according to Christian tradition and commemorated the discovery of the cross of Jesus by the mother of the emperor. Constantine, Saint Helena. Fact that caused him to convert to Christianity, and therefore his son the Emperor Constantine who was the first to give freedom of worship to Christianity, enforcing the Serdic Edict of Tolerance of 311 of Emperor Galerius, putting an end to the persecution of Christians. within the Roman Empire and which was contemplated in the Edict of Milan of the year 313. And in addition, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, subsequently surviving its fall to barbarian invasions, and shaping all of Europe as the main bastion of Christianity throughout the Middle Ages, and until the present day.

Later this festival was suppressed from the liturgical calendar in 1960 by the reform of Pope John XXIII, joining it to the celebration that took place on September 14 and which commemorated when the emperor Heraclius climbed on his back from the gate of Jerusalem to the Mount Calvary the Cross on September 14, 629.

And as for the pagan origin

How both celebrations, both that of the Exaltation and that of the Invention of the Cross, have had different vicissitudes and ups and downs throughout History, since they have been superimposed on each other.

Currently this festival lacks religious support, which is why it has been formed around the celebration of a spring advent ritual with clear pagan antecedents.

The Origin of the Day of the Cross in Granada and its province

Throughout the province of Granada, and with it also on its coastline, the Tropical Coast of Granada where we find Almuñécar, the oldest city on the Mediterranean in Spain; and La Herradura, the day of the May Cross is one of the most deeply rooted festivals.

For this day all the streets, patios, squares and shops are decorated and filled with altars in honor of the Holy Cross.

It is a festival that attracts many visitors to each town or city, and in the province of Granada the first celebrations were around the 17th century. It was at that time when the traditions that we have today on the current Day of the Cross were forged, such as the decoration, placing a but somewhere on the cross (a Golden apple) with some scissors stuck in, so that no one can tell no “but” (referring to criticism) about the decoration of that cross.

Tradition also postulates that the decoration must be made of crafts from the province, such as ceramics and inlay, typical patio plants such as geraniums and pilistras, embroidered shawls, copper utensils…