Most folks I know celebrate Easter by waking up, searching for eggs and dashing off to church before converging on someone's home to break bread with family. It's quaint. In the Philippines, they crucify each other.
Fortunately, this year, the Philippine government is warning citizens that crucifixion may be "bad for health". It seems that many people there get really passionate for the Christ and reenact His last days on Earth. For many, it means lashing their backs raw with whips. For others, it means being nailed to a cross. With real nails. Through their hands and feet.
For the record, the Philippine government, and the church, frown on the practice. However, the Easter tradition seems to grow more popular each year. In fact, this years festivities were co-sponsored by Coca Cola and, cell phone company, Smart Telecommunications. I'm not kidding. Smart was promoting a new hands free bluetooth headset coming out this Spring. (Now I'm kidding.)
The Health Dept. urged participants to practice hygienic lashings, use sterilized 6" nails and make sure their tetanus shots are up to date. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, after all.
Fortunately, this year, the Philippine government is warning citizens that crucifixion may be "bad for health". It seems that many people there get really passionate for the Christ and reenact His last days on Earth. For many, it means lashing their backs raw with whips. For others, it means being nailed to a cross. With real nails. Through their hands and feet.
For the record, the Philippine government, and the church, frown on the practice. However, the Easter tradition seems to grow more popular each year. In fact, this years festivities were co-sponsored by Coca Cola and, cell phone company, Smart Telecommunications. I'm not kidding. Smart was promoting a new hands free bluetooth headset coming out this Spring. (Now I'm kidding.)
The Health Dept. urged participants to practice hygienic lashings, use sterilized 6" nails and make sure their tetanus shots are up to date. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, after all.
"We are not trying to go against the Lenten tradition here because whipping has somewhat already become some form of atonement for sins for some of us" said Health Secretary Francisco Duque the 3rd.
I complained that the brass band at my service was out of tune.
Those special Easter brass bands are always out of tune.
ReplyDeleteBut serioulsy, I saw a show on crucifixion Easter weekend and it was crazy. It showed the people who do it today. But it also traced the history and the different ways they used to do it. The weird thing was it made me think about how we think it's so terrible about how violent the torture movies (and TV!) are, but all through human history we used to torture people for real in the public square. It was pretty depressing. Nevermind your kid seeing 24 on TV, how about him or her seeing a public disembowelment on the way home from school! It's a wonder any of us is sane.
ReplyDeletePublic Executions still are conducted throughout the world today.
ReplyDeleteThe last public execution in America was just 1936. 20,000 people in Kentucky turned out to watch.
Hola Flores Online.
ReplyDeleteYou guys must sell wreaths & sprays, ¿usted no? Thanks for the hug.