Moriones Festival 2013: Marinduque Holy Week Getaway Day 2

Experienced wearing a wood carved mask. 

When you say Marinduque, one thing that comes first on a Filipino mind is Moriones Festival. It is an annual celebration of Lenten season in Southern Luzon. Bright and colorful costumes of Roman soldiers, painted helmets, mask and ornaments is displayed on the streets. During my stay in our province, it has been a tradition that we have to witnessed this celebration every holy week. Numbers of people flocked in the town proper to attend Good Friday mass and join the procession after. My father used to become a Morion that is why I appreciated much this feast. In this festival also, creativity and the art side of Marinduqueños was showcased. Carving the masks and helmets took month to finish. Tourism was also benefited by this festival. It attracted tourists all over the country both local and foreign.

Sta. Cruz Town Church, one of Marinduque landmark, built in 1600.

Parade of Saint's statue, a sort of telling stories of  some of the events happened during Christ crucifixion.

Saint's float decorated with fresh flowers and lighted, this might be a usual scene which you can find also in some parts of the country.

You can also see group of people wearing maroon shirt printed with sorrowful Christ's face and barefooted . Like the one in Feast of Nazarene in Quiapo.

On the last lane of the procession were the Morions, some are in uniform but one thing you will notice, they really have different faces. You can see a mad morion, a smiling morion and a fierce morion. Each and every morion has distinct characteristics.

This time, maybe the color motif of Sta. Cruz' town is red. 

To some locals, wearing this costumes is a sacrifice. A time to pay for all the sins they have done. 

For a kid's eye, these faces of Morions were really frightening, like I used to be when I first saw a Morion.

Truly, a showcase of fashion and artistic skills of Marinduqueños. Awards were given to most beautiful and extravagant costumes.

Wearing this costumes were really a serious task. Heavy head dress, masks and thick fabric plus the accessories. Mabanas eh eh!!!

Dark Mask!!!

Meet a Morion Apprentice!!! Young, old, men and women, anyone can be a Morion!!!

Each morions have also distinct weapons, majority are swords but there are axes, spears bows and arrows, shield, javeline, chains with knife at the end and like the one in the picture above(don't know what weapon is that!! a spiny iron ball with chain handle!!!)

At night Senakulo, was held in town plaza. It is theatrical play telling the story Jesus Christ life from nativity to His cricifixion. One of the highlight of the play was the scene of chasing Longinus, a blind roman general who have pierced Jesus and was healed after the blood of Jesus scattered on his face. He testified that Jesus was really the son of God and was then beheaded. 

I was able to watched that on the previous years but this time we decided to go home earlier rather watching it, so we can ride on the PUJ service going back in our barrio. Then we call it a night!