What is a May Crowning?

Recognizing that Mary is the Queen of Heaven (compare Israel’s King Solomon and his mother), it is traditional to honor Mary as Queen by crowning her image in her month of May. This represents both her place at Her Son’s side, as well as her maternal concern for the children of the Kingdom, who often appeal to their Queen with the rosary – a crown of “prayers.” Not unfittingly, therefore, when her images are crowned in parishes or families, children are drafted for this purpose, and the crown is one of flowers.

The day of a May Crowning is up to each parish or family. Some people want to celebrate this tradition on the first Sunday of May, while others choose the feast of Our Lady of Fátima. Since Mother’s Day is a secular celebration of motherhood, some want to have the May Crowning on that day, both to give it a spiritual orientation and to honor Our Lady as the Mother of Jesus and our Mother.

The May Crowning can take the form of a procession, hymns, prayers, and of course the crowning of a Marian statue.