Islands in the Sun

Lent in the Philippines

One of the most colorful festivals celebrated in the island of Marinduque is the Moriones Festival. Morion means "mask" or "visor," a part of the medieval Roman armor which covers the face. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye.
Legend has it that Longinus pierced the side of the crucified Christ. The blood that spurted forth touched his blind eye and fully restored his sight. This miracle converted Longinus to Christianity and earned the ire of his fellow centurions. The re-enactment reaches its climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded.
The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage.

Cool Links:

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About the Philippines Official site of the Philippine Tourism Office.

Erap's Site The official web site of President Joseph Estrada.

Weather in the Phils Gives weather information about most major cities in the Philippines.

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Lent in the Philippines One of the most colorful festivals celebrated in the island of Marinduque is the Moriones Festival. Morion means "mask" or "visor," a part of the medieval Roman armor which covers the face. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye. Legend has it that Longinus pierced the side of the crucified Christ. The blood that spurted forth touched his blind eye and fully restored his sight. This miracle converted Longinus to Christianity and earned the ire of his fellow centurions. The re-enactment reaches its climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded. The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage.

Cool Links:
Please read and abide by the rules of each web site.
About the Philippines	Official site of the Philippine Tourism Office.
Erap's Site	The official web site of President Joseph Estrada.
Weather in the Phils	Gives weather information about most major cities in the Philippines.

DISCLAIMER: This is a personal site. To the best of the Webmaster's knowledge, all the graphics and tools used in this site's pages are freeware. The photographs are the personal property of the webmaster and may not be downloaded and used without the Webmaster's written permission. The Webmaster is not responsible for the content of the entries authored by other individuals, especially those on the message board and the guest book, and will not be held liable for problems arising from such content.