The Day of the Invention of the Holy Cross , celebrated on May 3
The Day of the Invention of the Holy Cross , celebrated on May 3 , is a religious occasion that marks the discovery of the true cross of Jesus Christ by Saint Helena in the 4th century. According to tradition, Helen found the fragments of the cross in Jerusalem during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is remembered for the recovery of the cross by Heraclius in 628, after having reconquered it from the Persians and handed it over to the patriarch Zechariah in 630. The festivity is marked in the Catholic Church, with special ceremonies, meditations on the spiritual meaning of the cross and, in some areas , processions and festive celebrations take place. In Portugal and other nations, it is customary to hold festivities, pilgrimages and adorn fountains and cruises with flowers to protect against adversity.
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