The May Crosses in Málaga: pilgrimages, altars, and even verdiales

Parades, pilgrimages, hiking trails, and of course, numerous contests to find the best cross in each town or city. The religious tradition of May 3rd is quite varied in the province, where ancestral traditions mix with the fervor of the most devout and also the desire to enjoy a pleasant day in the countryside at the midpoint of spring. Among the options in Málaga, there are even some related to the most authentic folklore, the verdiales.

In many places in the province of Málaga, the tradition of making pilgrimages to emblematic crosses is maintained, which are usually located in places with crosses or these religious elements are moved there. Among these cases is Arriate, where this Saturday the journey will begin at 8:30 in the morning. There, pilgrims will make a route from the cultural center of La Pacheca to the site known as los Pinitos del Marqués, where a bar will be set up. The pilgrimage of Jorox, a village in Alozaina, is also particularly well-known, where this day is lived with great devotion. However, in this case, it will not be on May 3rd but on Sunday, as it is a tradition to hold it on the last day of the week closest to the Feast of the Cross. From the Vera Cruz hermitage, after a rociera mass, the pilgrims will go to the Mesa de Jorox, where there is a large cross that is an emblem for the locals. There, they will spend a day of fellowship in the countryside, where neither food nor traditional music from the fandangos of Jorox will be lacking. Another pilgrimage with a long tradition will also be celebrated in Iznate, where in addition to moving to a venue equipped with a bar, it is customary to make a hornazo (a dough baked in the oven beforehand). Other towns with pilgrimages around the Cross include Algatocín, which will celebrate this Sunday, and Igualeja, which will do so on Saturday, May 10th.

In addition to decorating their streets and corners with crosses, there are municipalities that celebrate true religious festivals. In some cases, they join other celebrations during the same weekend. Thus, for example, this weekend in Frigiliana, they continue linking the tradition of entertaining neighbors and visitors who come to their crosses with the celebration of the Day of the Sugarcane Honey. The religious festival will be on Saturday, while the gastronomic one will be on Sunday. For its part, Coín frames its Day of the Cross with a contest and a religious procession, in the Spring Festivals, on this first weekend of May. In that context, other religious events related to the patron saint (the Virgin of Fuensanta) and the Orange Festival are also celebrated. Other municipalities where there are religious events or significant ornamental contests around this day are Alhaurín El Grande, Coín, Antequera, Ronda, Estepona, Marbella, Benalmádena Pueblo, or Torremolinos.

Vélez-Málaga breaks stereotypes around this festivity and will try to hold a parade that recalls the past. Thus, this Saturday, May 3rd, while continuing to recover the religious tradition of the May Crosses, it adds the commemoration of the historical act of the conquest of the city by the troops of the Catholic Monarchs. It is no coincidence, as although the old Ballix was taken on April 27, 1487, the monarchs did not enter it (through the Granada gate) until May 3rd, Day of the Cross. Thus, they ordered the placement of several Christian symbols at different points in the city to consecrate it. Among the crosses that were installed is the Lamb's Cross, which today is located in the homonymous hermitage. From there, this coming Saturday, the parade of what has been called the Legacy of Kings will depart. At the same time, there will be a popular verbena. The celebration will continue on Sunday with the verbena, children's workshops, a popular paella, and musical performances.

In this town of Axarquía, they maintain May 3rd as the main day of this tradition. In this case, a contest is held not only for the crosses, like those made in other parts of Axarquía, but also for the altars, which is one of the characteristics that differentiate this religious custom. To maintain this hallmark of Torrox, the City Council provides aid to all those who install either Granada crosses, floral crosses, or altars, which are the most rooted in the town. The first two will receive 200 euros, while the latter will obtain 300. In this way, they try to incentivize the most traditional in this town of Axarquía. As the Day of the Cross falls on a Saturday, the contest will be held between Friday and Sunday.

In this case, the relationship with the crosses comes from the place of celebration, a unique place located between four municipalities of the Valle del Guadalhorce. At the hermitage of the Three Crosses, like every Mother's Day or the first Sunday of May, a verdiales festival is celebrated on May 4th, without stages, where several bands meet in a day of coexistence and with a great atmosphere. This chapel is the place where three municipal terms converge, Almogía, Álora, and Cártama. To these, Pizarra must be added, whose territory is very close to this chapel. There, every first Sunday has been a tradition for many decades to celebrate a meeting of verdiales. To get there, there is a beautiful path from Puerto Blasón, in Cártama territory. There is also another more complex option from Almogía.

The Day of the Cross or the days before or after have also been ideal for many hiking enthusiasts to take almost always ascending routes. There are some very popular ones, such as the Cruz del Juanar, which many people from Marbella and Ojén who climb from the area of Puerto Rico Bajo to an emblematic cross with panoramic views of the Costa del Sol and part of the Sierra de las Nieves attend. In addition to this popular meeting, there are many other possibilities, both for going in private groups and with active tourism companies or sports clubs and associations. Among the crosses that are located in ideal places for hiking trails are also those of the Cuesta del Cielo (Nerja), Monte Hacho (Álora), Padre Ventura (Tolox), San Antón (Málaga), Camorra (Alameda), or Misión (Mijas). More information about these and other possible itineraries here.