Día de la Cruz in Granada 2025: Traditions and May Crosses Celebrations
Alhambra and Nasrid Palaces: discover the wonders of the Alhambra with this all-inclusive tour: the Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife, the Alcazaba, and more.
Alhambra + Albaicín + Sacromonte: a perfect combination of a guided tour of the Alhambra in the morning and a guided tour of the Albaicin and Sacromonte in the afternoon.In English, this festival is typically referred to as "Day of the Cross", "Crosses of May" or "May Crosses Festivities".
Every year thousands of visitors come from all over Spain to experience this festival in Granada.
This year the festival of the May Crosses will take place in Granada on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 of May 2025.
The Origins of This Tradition
The festival was first celebrated in Granada in the 17th century, commemorating the erection of an alabaster cross in 1625 in the district of San Lázaro. Locals celebrated by singing and dancing around it.
The tradition continued in the most popular districts of Granada, such as the
Albaicin and
Realejo.
Children began to build small altars with a cross and decorate them with pottery and copper objects.
Many of these traditions continue to this day. One of these is the practice of displaying an apple with open scissors stuck in it somewhere in the decoration.
This is done to avoid criticism, since in Spanish the word for 'apple' (pero) is the same as the word for 'but'. The Day of the Cross in the Present Day
Tradition dictates that the decoration of the May crosses in Granada should be composed of: Grenadian handcrafts, such as inlay and Grenadian ceramics; traditional plants of the courtyards in Andalusia, such as geraniums and pilistras; embroidered manila shawls, copper utensils, and others.Official May Crosses Competition
On this festive day, it is common to see women and children all over Granada wearing the typical Andalusian outfits.
Additionally, beautiful Andalusian horses might parade in the streets.
Every year, the City Council organizes a competition of May crosses to promote this tradition. They compite in four different categories: patios (courtyards), streets and squares, shop windows, and schools.
Thousands of carnations will decorate the many crosses that compete for the prize each year.
The aroma of so many flowers perfumes Granada and invites people to enjoy such a special day.
The atmosphere is unmatched. The Granadines, adults and children alike, walk around the city visiting various crosses, dancing and celebrating this day in Granada.
You should visit the Albaycín, where crosses receive the best prizes every year: Paseo de los Tristes, calle Zafra or Cuesta del Chapiz.
The decorated cross near Santo Domingo church, in Realejo, is usually a winner for the "patios" section of the competition.
Enjoy the amazing atmosphere at the historic centre: Plaza del Carmen, where a stage is erected for the flamenco performances that take place during the festivities, and Plaza de las Pasiegas or Puerta Real.
Location of the May Crosses in Granada in 2025
Explore Granada with a variety of tours and activities, designed to help you discover the city in a fun and memorable way. There's something for everyone.
What to do on 3 of May in Granada?
On the Day of the Cross in Granada, take a leisurely walk through the city center and immerse yourself in its cheerful and festive atmosphere.
Throughout the day, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy Andalusian folklore through the cultural activities happening in
various settings spread across the city.
There are usually free musical performances featuring flamenco dances,
some of which are typical of Granada,
at Plaza del Carmen (Town Hall).
It's a tradition to visit the award-winning crosses to admire their decoration, enjoy the music, and join in the dancing.
If they are serving drinks, people tend to stay for a while, enjoying tapas in the company of friends and family.
Only the crosses
located in private patios will be able to offer drinks and food to the public.
This year there will be 62 crosses installed in the capital, ant in the competition: 9 in streets and squares; 18 in courtyards; 10 in shop windows and 23 school crosses.
The festival of the Day of the Cross 2025 in Granada will officially start on 2 May at 12:00 with the reading of the proclamation (pregón oficial) in the Patio del Ayuntamiento. This is another tradition of the festival.
During this ceremony the prizes for the official Cruces de Mayo 2025 competition will be announced and the musical performances in the Plaza del Carmen will start.
On Saturday 3 May 2025 the festival continues, with more musical performances on both stages from 12 noon onwards. In the Plaza de las Pasiegas there will be a free concert by the Banda Municipal de Música at 19:00.
On Sunday at 01:00 it will be time to collect and dismantle the decorations, officially closing the May crosses in Granada.
The Ups and Downs of the Festival
Throughout history, the festival has experienced various ups and downs, including its near disappearance following
the 1883 prohibition on soliciting money for crosses.
Thanks to the tradition being kept alive privately for many years, the festival began to revive. As early as 1924, the Granada City Council held a competition for altar designs for the first time.
The Day of the Cross festival was officially reinstated as a major event on the Granada city calendar starting in 1964.
As history often repeats itself, the festival faced a decline a few years ago when the Day of the Cross turned into an excuse
for large-scale drinking parties.
As a result, the Granada City Council prohibited the installation of bars and music at all crosses.
However, the Day of the Cross has made a resurgence, and we can once again experience this celebration just as it began nearly 400 years ago: singing and dancing around the cross.
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Enjoyed seeing the red cross’s across town and the energy and women in their dresses ready to dance. The scissors in the apples a fun superstition that’s carried on in the tradition.
We thouroghly enjoyed watching the flamenco danced by all different age groups. We were made welcome and a Spanish lady tried to explain how the dancers moved their hands so elegantly. It was my birthday and it all made it a very special one to remember (Addy).
