May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary facts for kids

May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary are special prayers and activities held by the Catholic Church during the month of May. They honor Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is often called "the Queen of May." These special services can happen inside churches or outside. A "May Crowning" is a traditional Catholic event that also takes place in May.

How May Devotions Started

People have linked the month of May to Mary for a long time. In the 1200s, King Alfonso X wrote about honoring Mary on certain days in May. Over time, the whole month became a special time for prayers to Mary.

The exact beginning of these May devotions is not fully known. Some historians think these special prayers started in the 1600s. It is clear that this way of honoring Mary began in Italy. Around 1739, people in Grezzano, Italy, were already doing special May devotions. By 1747, the Archbishop of Genoa suggested that families do May devotions at home.

According to one story, a priest named Father Latomia in Rome started the practice in the late 1700s. He wanted to help students be more religious. From Rome, this practice spread quickly to other Catholic churches. By 1813, many churches in Rome were holding May devotions. From Italy, May devotions soon spread to France and Belgium. By the 1800s, this tradition of honoring Mary in May had spread around the world.

What Happens During May Devotions

In 1965, Pope Paul VI said that May is a good time to pray for peace during these devotions.

A Marian devotion, praying the Rosary.

There is no strict plan for what a May devotion must include. It often has Marian songs, readings from the Bible, and a sermon. Catholics might also go on pilgrimages (special journeys) to churches dedicated to Mary. They might offer small sacrifices, study, or do good work in her honor. Many also pray the Rosary more often.

The last devotion on May 31 is often a big procession. During this, a statue or picture of the Virgin Mary is carried back into the church. Some May devotions can happen outdoors or in a special dedicated place.

Family Devotions at Home

A special part of May devotions is the May Altar. This can be in a church or a "house altar" at home. Families might pray the rosary around this altar. It usually has a picture of Mary, candles, and many May flowers. This custom of having a May Altar at home started in southern European countries.

Several popes have supported this practice. Pope Pius XII wrote about it, saying:

The custom of the family recitation of the Holy Rosary is a most efficacious means. What a sweet sight - most pleasing to God - when, at eventide, the Christian home resounds with the frequent repetition of praises in honor of the High Queen of Heaven! Then the Rosary, recited in the family, assembled before the image of the Virgin, in an admirable union of hearts, the parents and their children, who come back from their daily work. It unites them piously with those absent and those dead. It links all more tightly in a sweet bond of love, with the most Holy Virgin, who, like a loving mother, in the circle of her children, will be there bestowing upon them an abundance of the gifts of concord and family peace.

May Devotions by Family Groups

In the late 1800s, May devotions became very popular around the world. Eastern Churches had colorful celebrations. Soon, families started gathering for thirty days of the month. The 31st day was celebrated by the whole village or town. Records show that in 1922, churches in Maravankudieruppu and Kamanayakkanpatti in India began May Devotions with 30 family groups. By the 1950s, almost all churches in India were celebrating May Devotions this way.

Mary, Queen of May

Pope Pius XII officially declared Mary as "Queen of Heaven" in his encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam.

Even though May devotions are different in various countries, the title "Queen of May" is used in many Marian songs. In English-speaking countries, a hymn says:

Hail Virgin, dearest Mary! Our lovely Queen of May! O spotless, blessed Lady, Our lovely Queen of May. Your children, humbly bending, Surround your shrine...

In German-speaking countries, the term is Maienkönigin ("May-Queen"):

Maria Maienkönigin, wir kommen dich zu grüßen. O holde Freudenspenderin, sieh uns zu deinen Füßen.
(Mary, Queen of May, we come to greet you. O dear donor of joy, look at us at your feet.)

Another popular song ends with these words:

• O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!
• Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.
• O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,
• Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

May Crownings

In Eastern churches, crowning Mary meant adding decorations to an icon of Mary. This could be as simple as adding gold trim. Later, Pope Clement VIII added two crowns to a famous icon of Mary in Rome. These crowns were lost but replaced by Gregory XVI in 1837. This became the standard way of crowning Mary.

Churches and groups often have a procession and crown a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with flowers. This is called a "May Crowning." This special event can happen on Mary's feast days or other festive days. It helps the Church remember Mary's important role in the story of salvation. In some countries, it happens around May 1st. In many United States Catholic churches, it often takes place on Mother's Day.

The custom of May crownings became less common in the 1970s and 80s. But it has recently become popular again, along with other traditional Catholic practices. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is officially crowned. This shows her as Queen of Heaven and the Mother of God.

Today, May crownings happen in many Roman Catholic churches and homes. The ceremony can be changed to fit different places, like a church, school, classroom, or even a family home. It might include hymns, prayers, and a special act of dedication to Mary.

The most important part of the celebration is when someone places a crown of flowers on Mary's head. This is usually done while a traditional hymn to Mary is sung. Young girls in dresses often carry flowers (like hawthorn) to decorate the statue. One of the girls (often the youngest) carries a crown of flowers or a golden crown on a cushion. The May Queen (often the oldest girl) then places it on the statue. The flowers are changed throughout the month to keep them fresh.

The Coronation of the Virgin has also been a popular subject in art.

Flores de Mayo in the Philippines

In the Philippines and other countries, Mary is celebrated in May with Flores de Mayo ("Flowers of May"). People gather colorful flowers to decorate the parish church's altars and aisles. Catholic communities often meet in the afternoons to pray the rosary. They offer flowers to a statue of the Virgin Mary and share homemade snacks. In bigger processions, children and adults wear their best clothes. They sing and dance to welcome the rains that will help new crops grow.

The celebration includes the Santacruzan. This is a special pageant that celebrates the Finding of the Holy Cross. Young ladies, called reynas ("queens"), are chosen to represent Bible figures like Judith. They also represent titles of Mary from the Litany of Loreto (like Rosa Mística). Other figures from religious and national history are also represented. The reynas dress in beautiful clothes and carry special items. They walk through the town with young men or boys escorting them. The Reyna Elena, who represents Saint Helena, is the last and most grand. She carries a cross or crucifix and is escorted by a young boy playing Constantine. All the people in the procession walk under arches decorated with flowers.

The Santacruzan custom in the Philippines combines May Marian devotions with celebrations for Roodmas. Roodmas used to be celebrated on May 3rd.

May Devotions in Lithuania

In 1853, May devotions came to Lithuania. It is believed that Bishop Motiejus Valančius brought them to the Samogitia region. Later, by the end of the century, May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary began to be sung in Vilnius.

May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary are also called Mojava in Lithuania. They are sung not only in churches but also in people's homes. Villagers and townspeople sing together after their day's work. For these May devotions, a small altar with a statue of Mary is set up at home.

Mojava are also sung during the opening celebration of the Museum of Samogitian village.

Mary Gardens

Flowers and nature have been used to describe Mary in religious writings for a long time. This led to hundreds of flowers being named after Mary. These names often relate to her life, virtues, or special qualities.

The idea of honoring Mary with flowers started in monasteries and convents in medieval Europe. During the Middle Ages, people saw reminders of Mary in the flowers and herbs around them. The first mention of a garden just for Mary comes from the life of St. Fiacre. He was an Irish saint who loved gardening. In the 600s, he planted and cared for a garden around a chapel he built for Mary in France.

In the East, flower gardens were created especially for decorating statues of Mother Mary in May. Portuguese people brought May Devotions to Thamizh Naadu (now part of India) in the 1600s. Catholic families there started making flower gardens at every home. European flowering plants were brought to India at this time. A Catholic prince named Ezha Maarthandan Thirupappur wrote that "the celebrations of Mother Mary were more important than those for our Lord Jesus." He also wrote that he had to limit some of the May Devotions in his kingdom.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Mes de María para niños