Festivals in the Philippines, locally known as fiestas, originated dating back to the Spanish colonial

period when the Spaniards introduced Christianity to the country. Most Philippine towns and cities
has a patron saint assigned to each of them. Fiestas in the Philippines serve as either religious,
cultural, or both. These festivals are held to honor the patron saint or to commemorate history and
culture, such as promoting local products and celebrate a bountiful harvest. Fiestas can be
categorized by Holy Masses, processions, parades, theatrical play and reenactments, religious or
cultural rituals, trade fairs, exhibits, concerts, pageants and various games and contests.

Traditional marriage customs in the Philippines and Filipino wedding practices pertain to the
characteristics of marriage and wedding traditions established and adhered by them Filipino
men and women in the Philippines after a period of courtship and engagement. These traditions
extend to other countries around the world where Filipino communities exist. Kasalan is the Filipino
word for "wedding",[1] while its root word kasal means "marriage".[2] The present-day character of
marriages and weddings in the Philippines were primarily influenced by the permutation
of Filipino, Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Chinese, Spanish,[1] andAmerican models.
Flores de Mayo (Spanish for "flowers of May") is a festival held in the Philippines in the month of
May. It is one of the May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary and lasts for the entire month.

The Santacruzan (Spanish for "sacred cross") is the ritual pageant held on the last day of Flores de
Mayo. It honors the finding the True Cross by Helena of Constantinople (known as Reyna Elena)
and Constantine the Great. Its observance in May is likely connected to theMay 3 observance
of Roodmas, which was abolished when Pope John XXIII combined it with the Feast of the Triumph
of the Cross on 14 September.[