As Christians around the world gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, here are some of the more unusual religious ceremonies and Easter traditions happening across the globe this week.
From real-life reenactments of the crucifixion in the Philippines to the lavish wedding of a cow and bull in India, there is certainly no shortage of bizarre traditions to mark this important spring holiday…
Crucifixions, Philippines
Christians are nailed to crosses in the Philippines every year in a real-life Good Friday reenactment of Jesus’s suffering.
Extreme worship: A Filipino devotee has his hands nailed to the cross. Penitents also have nails pushed through their feet as they re-enact the crucifixion
Agony: Penitent Bobby Gomez grimaces as a nail is hammered into his hand in the Good Friday celebration
Agony: Penitent Bobby Gomez grimaces as a nail is hammered into his hand in the Good Friday celebration
The annual ritual, dating back to the 1950s, takes place across the country – often attracting a crowd of thousands of people.
Last year, nine men were crucified in Pampanga province’s San Pedro Cutud village, while at least eight others were crucified in neighbouring villages.
Many take part to atone for sins, pray for the sick or for a better life, or to give thanks for what they believe were miracles.
Ruben Enaje, a painter, 51, last year took part in the crucifixions for the 26th time. He began taking part in the annual event to give thanks after he survived falling from a building.
He added that despite the crucifixions being condemned he still took part because the Church ‘stay at home during Good Friday instead of reaching out to penitents to explain their side’.
He had three-inch steel nails hammered into his palms during the ceremony.
The spectacle is a unique brand of Catholicism that merges church traditions with Philippine folk superstitions. More than 80 per cent of the Philippines’ estimated 90 million population are Catholic.
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