DIA DE LA CRUZ 3 rd OF MAY

DIA DE LA CRUZ, THIS VIDEO IS FROM YOU TUBE, BUT I THINK IT REPRESENT THE DAY IN A FINE WAY .

All these fotographs are taken during walks I like to do when I·m in Almuñecar, often I stay there for some days in winter, and the sunny days in february and march are the prettiest, the light is so nice,  the days get·s  a little longer , and the perfect temperature all the Costa Tropical has in the winter make me feel  I can short down the winter in Granada. Even if I was born in Norway, I must say that I like the temperature and the sun here more than the snow and short days there. I still love Norway, and my next trip there is to celebrate the Constitution Day, 17 th of may, together with my family, I will tell you when I come back.

The white houses so typical from Andalusia, were always given a whitewash in the spring, and that as well as the spring cleaning was done by the females in the family, everybody is proud of their  white villages, and for the 3rd of May , we celebrate the "Dia de La Cruz" (the day of the cross).
In 1625 a cross of alabaster was raised in the part of  the the town called San Lazaro , and it was celebrated with popular and flamenco dances. In the beginning of century XX  that the children started to make small crosses in their patios, or in small squares and in the schools, always with flowers, local ceramics, brass elements, and Manila shawls, and always a pear whith scissors , thats the way to "cut the pero" (always somebody saying :yes it·s very beautiful, PERO.........)and they were asking bypassers for a "chavico", a coin.
 Every part of the town has it's own cross, organiced by the neighbourhood associations, the restaurants and bars, the schools  and you can see  lots , very beautiful and typical ones , and children still make their own small crosses. There is a Contest , with large prices for the best squares, best patio, best schools, best shop window etc,. and everybody does their best to win one of the prices.

CUTEST DOOR IN ALMUÑECARS OLD TOWN.

SWEET DOOR IN OLD HOUSE NUMBER 13.

Street in the old town,near The San Miguel Castle. the neighbours are taking care of the pots and plants.

FLOWERED WINDOW 

The 3rd of may, people live in the street, they drink a lot of  Manzanilla (Sherry), eat tapas, wery tyipical is the Fava Beans, wich you peel and eat raw together with some Bacalao and Salaillas (  Semi  flat-bread with sea salt and olive oil )
.If I don·t get too much Manzanilla,  I will come back with some fresh photographs of this years Dia de La Cruz.

Many other cities and villages celebrate Dia De La Cruz, you can find a list in Wickipedia, and if you are near to one of these places, don·t miss it.