In Joxinho Vinces, by Daniela Seves Rodriguez. Every May 3rd, it is beautiful to see the tradition in all those construction works that will proudly display on their highest part at that moment a wooden cross mainly adorned with colorful tissue paper and flowers that brighten the eye and compete with the wind for the opportunity to wave in a sway of colors of simple magnificence, and later around a good bonfire, a pleasant, delicious, and gargantuan gathering will be enjoyed where tacos of different varieties will be tasted in the warmth of. The company and also the warmth produced by some other spirituous drink, that is, if the contractor seems kind and generous. Today the harsh sun on their skin, the heavy load of bricks, or the soft smell of wet mortar will not be the common denominator for construction workers who have taken the day of the Holy Cross as their day, the day on which the dignified profession of bricklayer is recognized, a term derived from the Arabic word albani, which means the one who builds or the one who constructs for them the respectable masters of construction. The commemoration of this day is linked to other fundamental events that occurred on May 3, October 28, and September 14th, although in different years, but all of them related to a symbol that unites them, which is the Holy Cross, the lightmotif of each of these events and the basic foundation that forms today's celebration. Flavius Valerius Constantius, also known as Constantius I or Constantius Cloris, was emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 293 to 306. His second wife, Helena, was the mother of Constantine, who would later become Constantine I. A devout woman, she diligently sought to find traces of the Passion of Jesus, particularly the cross of his sacrifice. After many attempts, and advised by the most influential scholars of the time, she asked her husband for permission to demolish a pagan temple that had been built on Mount Calvary. There, it is said, the construction workers were astonished to find three buried crosses, one of which was believed to be the cross of the Redeemer, and the others those of Dismas and Gestas, the thieves crucified alongside him. The writings mention that the evidence was even stronger when, upon bringing this cross close to a Mason who had died the day before during the work, he was resurrected, a miracle occurring in him. For this reason, Constantine's mother was canonized as Saint Helena of the Cross and May 3rd in the current Gregorian calendar, recognized as the day on which the cross is venerated, and derived from the fact that the bricklayers were the main part of this fact. Here in Mexico, the influence of the evangelizers united this day with that of the natives who, around these initial dates of May, asked for the good harvest season. Thus syncretically it was developed and rooted in the uses and customs. Of our homeland. Upon Constantius' death, his son Constantine I succeeded him on the throne. As emperor, he had to fight against General Maxentius in an unequal battle where he faced every adversity. The day before, history recounts that while asking God for his support in the battle, he and his entire army saw, almost at sunset, the image of a cross appear in the sky, along with the phrase in Hoxinio Vinces. In this sign you will conquer. That night, in his dreams, he received the order to make a standard with the sign he had seen in the sky and use it in all his battles. He did so on October 28, 312, at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Maxentius' troops were defeated by Constantine's forces. The defeat was so complete that Maxentius, while fleeing, perished by drowning in the waters of the Tiber River. As a result of Constantine's victory, the cross was raised from the highest point of the royal fortress to all the buildings and flags. This led to the Edict of Milan in 313, which established religious freedom in the Roman Empire and thus ended the persecution of Christians, a period known as the Peace of the Church. Centuries later, in 614, the cross was taken from Jerusalem by the Persians and carried off as a war trophy. Years later, in 628, Heraclius rescued it and returned it to Jerusalem. It is said that, out of joy at receiving it back, a procession was held along the Via Dola Rosa with all the splendor and pomp that the event warranted. However, the emperor was unable to move forward, something suddenly prevented him from walking. The archbishop advised him to remove all the luxurious ornaments that covered his body, and thus, in a humble manner, the procession reached its rightful place. From then on, to prevent theft, part of it was sent to Rome, another part to Jerusalem, and another part was broken into small splinters to be sent to many places. A relic, part of the Vera Cruz, the true cross. To all construction workers, happy construction workers' day.