Catholics in the Philippines have marked Good Friday with ritual crucifixions and other blood-soaked reenactments of Jesus Christ's suffering. Thousands of tourists flock to witness the spectacle each year.
Image: Reuters/E. Lopez
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At least nine devotees were nailed to wooden crosses in the northern Philippines on Good Friday, as the Catholic country kicked off its Easter celebrations.
The annual festivities attract thousands of people but are frowned upon by the Catholic Church, which insists the crucifixion of Jesus Christ "need not be repeated."
Huge crowds traveled to San Pedro Cutud in the province of Pampanga to watch villagers dressed as Roman centurions pin worshippers to crosses using 8-centimeter (3-inch) spikes.
A first aid crew is on hand to attend to devotees who volunteer to be nailed to the crossImage: AFP/Getty Images/N. Celis
Earlier, processions of men wearing crowns of twigs and beating themselves bloody with whips and bamboo sticks made their way through the village streets. Others carried crosses or lay on the hot pavement while receiving a thrashing from a fellow participant.
Similar shows were put on in several villages across the country's north.
Ruben Enaje, 58, grimaces in pain after being nailed to the cross in San Fernando City, PampangaImage: Reuters/E. Lopez
Easter is a major religious holiday in the Philippines, where around 80% of the country's population is Roman Catholic. While many spend Good Friday at church or visiting relatives, others mark the occasion with the more extreme kinds of religious rituals performed in San Pedro Cutud.
The Catholic Church has distanced itself from such displays, urging the faithful to instead show their commitment through prayer and acts of charity.
"The crucifixion and death of Jesus are more than enough to redeem humanity from the effects of sins. They are once in a lifetime events that need not be repeated," Father Jerome Secillano of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said.
"Holy Week ... is not the time to showcase man's propensity for entertainment and Pharisaical tendencies," he added.
Easter traditions in Germany
As a primarily Christian country, Germany celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter. Children in particular enjoy many traditions linked to the festival that have pagan origins.
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Hunting for Easter eggs
Easter egg hunts are a widespread tradition in Germany. Children especially enjoy searching for colorfully decorated hard-boiled eggs on Easter Sunday morning, as seen here near Goethe's garden house in Weimar. The egg symbolizes new life.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Arifoto Ug/C. Welz
Why does the Easter bunny hide eggs?
In Germany, children are told that a rabbit hides the colorful eggs they must find. But since rabbits don't even lay eggs, where did the idea come from? One theory is that rabbits are known for their fertility, so, like the eggs, they symbolize life.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Huber
The Easter lamb cake
Germans often eat cakes shaped in the form of a lamb at Easter. Like the rabbit, the lamb is considered a symbol of the holiday. For one thing, the Bible refers to Jesus as the "Lamb of God." For another, the lamb is a reminder of the exodus from Egypt and Passover, when the Israelites sprinkled their door frames with the blood of sacrificial lambs to remind the Angel of Death to spare them.
Image: picture-alliance/Arco Images/J. Pfeiffer
Easter fountains
Germans also prepare for Easter by decorating wells and fountains with flowers and colored eggs in some regions. Some towns get very creative, and include arches and ornate decorations, especially in the area of Franconia in North Bavaria, where the practice originated. It may have began as a way to show gratitude for the water source, as water was once a precious commodity.
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The tradition of ringing bells
Church bells loudly ringing on Easter Sunday announce the "good news" of Christ's resurrection to Christians. In some places, church bells fall silent from Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, to Easter Sunday. According to Roman Catholic legend, bells fly to Rome during that time and return the night before Easter.
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Easter candles
During Easter mass in churches, a so-called Paschal candle also plays a special role. The light is passed from candle to candle to remind the faithful that, with his resurrection, Christ brought light into the darkness of the world.
Image: picture-alliance/Prisma/H. Fürmann
Easter bonfire
The tradition of having an Easter bonfire probably existed as a pagan ritual among Germanic tribes before the arrival of Christianity to the region. It was meant to dispel the darkness of winter and welcome the spring. Even today, damilies, friends and neighbors meet in the countryside to light large fires.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Beytekin
Rolling the Easter wheel
On Easter Sunday, large oak wheels stuffed with straw are lit and roll downhill. The wheel of fire symbolizes the disc formed by the sun, and the Easter wheels also heralds the coming of spring. This tradition can be found mainly in rural areas of northern Germany and in the Harz mountains.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gentsch
Easter riders in Saxony
The Sorbs, a Slavic minority in eastern Germany, have their own Easter traditions. In Bautzen, in Saxony, Easter riders proclaim the Easter message on the Peace Bridge, which they then take to the surrounding communities while singing songs and saying prayers.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Kahnert
Going for an Easter stroll
Since temperatures are typically milder around Easter, many people enjoy going for walks on Easter day. This tradition was immortalized by German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his work "Faust."
