Holy Week

I had the opportunity to attend and even participate in Holy Week Celebrations here in the Philippines. Out here the Lenton season is extremely important and the Catholic’s take it very seriously. In Pampanga (my province) we take it to another level, we actually reenact the crucifixion. Not only do we do this but men in our communities will walk with a cross around the Barangay and arrive back at the church and continue to pray. Community members will follow the man showing support. Other men will actually flagellate themselves with a whip and pieces of wood. They have another man with a paddle (with shards of glass sticking out of it) and every so often he will tell the flagellator to stop and he will paddle their backs and they will then carry on. Layers of skin comes off and this is to bring them closer to God and feel Jesus’s sacrifice. There is a quite a bit of blood. This starts on Maundy Thursday. On Good Friday is the reenactment of the crucifixion and the man who has been playing Jesus has been doing it for years. He was actually nailed to the cross. Now this show has become a yearly activity and people from all over come to witness the event. I wished I was local or international press because they got to sit under the large tarp and not get scorched by the sun. I did my penance and got fried and blood splatter that ruined my shorts by the end of the show. It was a really interesting experience and it will happen again next year. There are so many men who flagellate or carry the cross. On the way to San Fernando to watch the crucifixion the bus was so slow because it had to overtake men participating in one of these two rituals and walking on the highway.

It was just incredible the dedication these men have to be closer to god and penance. At the site of the crucifixion a man was selling a paddle and whip and I could not imagine getting hit or hitting myself with either. None of the women participated in the events. I believe they just do some extra praying. During Holy Week there are also processions in the Barangay’s that occur.

Below are some of the pictures of Holy Week.