For the people of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, the well-known national holiday of Cinco de Mayo is overshadowed by the far more important Festival of the Holy Cross (Fiesta de la Santa Cruz) which culminates on the 3rd of May. This week-long celebration is deeply rooted in the city’s historical position as both the epicenter of the Maya independence movement and the spiritual home of the Maya Cruzoob or the Cult of the Talking Cross. The focal point of this festival is a collection of three talking crosses known as Las Cruces Parlantes which hold a unique place in the history of the region.

In 1847 the subjugated Maya minority in the Yucatán peninsula began a rebellion against the Hispanic dominated government. This independence rebellion, which later became known misleadingly as the Caste War or the Guerra de Castas, saw the Indigenous Maya people seize back control of much of the eastern and southern parts of the peninsula which make up the modern day state of Quintana Roo. After initial Maya successes, the war began to drag out with the superior resources and technology of the Hispanic Yucatecos presenting a serious challenge to the dream of Maya independence.

 In the early to mid-1850’s a new military religious organization emerged as a driving force behind the rebellion. While accounts vary due to the lack of primary written sources, the discovery of a talking cross, or trio of talking crosses, in a group of cedar trees by a cenote, or sinkhole, in the area near modern day Felipe Carrillo Puerto, became a rallying point for the Maya people. The appearance and pronouncements of these crosses were taken as a sign of God’s support for the Maya cause and an indicator of the inevitable success of the fight for independence. The crosses were housed in Balam Nah (House of the Jaguar) and a new capital for the Maya people grew up around it. This new city, later to become Felipe Carrillo Puerto, was named Chan Santa Cruz, a name which also became synonymous with the short-lived independent Maya free state it served as the capital of.

At the heart of the city a sanctuary was built to protect the cross. The majority of the construction of this and other churches in the city were undertaken by military prisoners as the Maya sought to utilize the more advanced construction techniques familiar to their Yucateco enemy. The Catholic Church had forbidden those of Maya descent from becoming ordained priests, so the former lay assistants, or maestros cantores, became the first priests of this new religion, leading to a fusion of Catholic and Maya beliefs. The religious image of the cross in Maya culture pre-existed the arrival of the Catholic faith in the region, making it ideally suited as the principal icon of the new church. The crosses were tended in a very different fashion to those in European Catholic churches, incorporating elements of preexisting Maya religious practices. They were ‘fed’ twice each week with a sacrificed suckling pig and other food grown by the laboring prisoners around the church which were offered up on the altar.  The crosses were dressed in a traditional Maya huipil (read more about this traditional garment here), and surrounded by decorations,  including mirrors. A style of music known as mayapax /maya pahsh/, music of fiddles and drums, was performed for the crosses as part of their worship, although some sources maintain that this music was used largely as a form of torture for the prisoners.

The sanctuary itself was built next to a beautiful cenote, which provided fresh clean drinking water for the local population. This was particularly important as one of the key Maya tactics in the war was to poison water sources in the region with corteza del chechén (cuttings of the poisonous chechén tree) to prevent advancing Yucatec forces from having access to safe water. This water source reinforced the position of the sanctuary as the center of the new city and allowed for successful food cultivation for the sanctuary guards and worshipers.

After the eventual defeat of the rebellion and the absorption of the Maya free state into Mexico, the Cult of the Talking Cross remained a strong presence in the region, and the sanctuary, along with its surroundings, were maintained. While some accounts claim the true original Talking Cross was burned by Mexican forces, there is no solid evidence of this and it is believed by many that the three original crosses remain in place under guard in the church. To this day the guard is maintained by believers, often the descendants of the original guards, with the duty passed down through each generation. One of the modern day guards, Rodolfo Poot Moot, told us that the number of guards has been decreasing over time. There used to be as many as 40 guards at a time, with this now being reduced to thirteen groups of between eight and twelve guards, who each take their turn on duty for a two-week period, often leaving their families to do so. They still practice mayapax music and ensure the cross is fed in accordance with tradition. The Cruzoob fusion of Catholicism and Maya beliefs was itself recognized as a legitimate religion in Mexico in 2002, when the federal government lifted restrictions against witchcraft.

The modern day sanctuary still features elements of the original building. The arch houses the cross and the original altar is still present. The church receives visitors from all over the region and from abroad year round, with guests welcome to enter and view the crosses. Photography within the building itself is forbidden, although pictures can be taken from outside. Visitors are also asked to dress respectfully and remove their shoes before entering the church. The sanctuary guards are passionate about their culture and history and are more than happy to talk with visitors about both.

The festival remains the busiest time for the sanctuary and its guard as families from the city and the surrounding Maya communities congregate to underline the importance of this sacred place in their culture. Traditional clothing is often worn and mayapax music is played for those who attend. A different Maya dish is served each day, often prepared by the women of the families of the guards. Each day of the festival sees a number of visitors, but attendance is much higher on the final day, with the celebrants sometimes filling the entire grounds of the sanctuary.

Sadly, the number of attendants at the festival has begun to decrease in recent years as Maya culture has been beset by a number of outside challenges. It is hoped that moves to defend the Maya language and way of life ensure it is passed on to the next generation so this truly special time of year here in Felipe Carrillo Puerto can be reinvigorated.

If you would like to read more about Maya culture in modern day Felipe Carrillo Puerto check out our blogs here. If you are interested in learning to speak Maya either online or through an immersion experience here in the heart of Quintana Roo you can read more about the programs and how they support education for Indiginous children here.