Moriones Festival

Boac, Marinduque, MIMAROPA

Every Holy Week, the streets of Boac and other Marinduque municipalities fill with centurions — men in elaborate Roman soldier costumes with carved wooden masks based on the legend of Longinus, the soldier who pierced Christ's side and was miraculously healed. Performed continuously since the Spanish colonial era, the Moriones festival is one of the most visually theatrical religious observances in the Philippines: the giant masks, the week-long procession, and the final dramatic execution of Longinus draw visitors from across the country.

📸 Ranieljosecastaneda (CC BY-SA 4.0), EMMAN A. FORONDA (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons

festivalHoly-WeekMorionesmasksMarinduquecolonial

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