Festival of the Three Crosses
- Laura LaBrie
- May 8
- 3 min read
I am standing in the center of a small, oval shaped palm thatch hut. On the floor just beyond my feet, burn 35 candles, each in a clear glass cup. As I raise my eyes, I see a long rectangular table covered in a new white cloth with flowers and some Mayan words hand painted on it. There is no yellow in the painting, for yellow is the color of death.
On the dirt floor at both ends of the table are dried jicara bowls filled with atole and topped with handmade tortillas lovingly made by the family who cares for the Sanctuary of the 3 Holy Crosses and who owns the land. The bowls with their atole and tortillas are offerings to the aluxes who guard the land.
Laid out carefully on the table are sweet smelling flowers, two large bottles of Coke, and many bowls of a special soup which was prepared in a fiery pib (a whole in the ground filled with hot coals and covered in flattened banana stalks. The offering is for the four Chaacs, the Maya rain gods whom are honored here and who care for the people by bringing fresh water to fill the ancient wells and quench the thirst of the land.
I raise my eyes and gaze upon three wooden crosses of varying heights, each dressed in a new white cloth lavishly covered in hand painted flowers, again, with no yellow for yellow is the color of death. Green is the color of the crosses for green in the color of life.
The sanctuary is peaceful and quiet and the owner of the land moves in beside me. He allows me a moment of silence and then happily and gently answers my questions. He knows I am here to respect and to honor the crosses of the festival of their day and he desires to teach me as much as I desire to learn.
When I ask him to please explain the significance of everything to me, he talks about the aluxes guardians, and the offerings to the rain gods, of which there are four. He talks about the 4 sacred directions and the connection of the Chaacs to the underworld. But he never mentions the crosses themselves. He talks about the clothes the crosses are wearing and explains the significance of the colors green and yellow. He tells me that new clothes are crafted for the crosses every month. But when I ask him directly about the meaning of the crosses, he pauses.
It is an odd thing, these three crosses. Yes, they can represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as Ignacio, the owner explained to me. But they are far older than Christianity. The three crosses go back at least 3,000 years, 1,000 years before the crucifixion of Christ.
Later in the day, after hours of relaxing under the trees, eating some of the soup (not the bowls left as an offering) and sharing more than a couple glasses of beer, Don Francisco, my good friend and the best friend or “compadre” of Ignacio, tells me that three crosses are not really crosses. They are the three energies of life, “Money, Friendship, and Peace.” He explains that it is having these three things in life that brings you great blessing.
It is this sharing of confidence, the moments when the local people let down their walls and share inside information, that are so powerful. I do believe that these days we spent celebrating were about much more than the three Crosses. They were about connection to the family in a very spiritual way. Someone opened, a door or portal if you will. I feel like we were initiated into something we have yet to fully understand.
I had some very interesting dreams when I got home from our three-day adventure.
Things are leveling up.
Something magical happened on that ranch in the middle of the jungle. Something powerful and otherworldly.
I will endeavor to continue to unfold this story for you as it unfolds for me.
NOTE: I HIGHLY recommend reading the back stories about these three crosses. it is a labrynth of magic and mystery!
In anticipation,
Hugs and butterflies
laura
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