I went to my office on the Sogang campus thinking it would be quiet since there is a two day break for Easter, and so was at first surprised to see a Passion Play in the works on top of the hill.



Of course it makes sense since this is a Jesuit school, but I failed to anticipate it.

It was a nice sunny and warm day for an outdoor passion play, but overall it was pretty sedate overall, with only a moderately sized crowd.

Though this is Asia, Korea is a whole lot different than the Philippines. No live crucifixions here.




MANILA (AFP) - Philippine health officials Wednesday warned people taking part in Easter crucifixions and self-flagellation rituals to get a tetanus shot first and sterilise the nails to avoid infections.
Every Good Friday in this predominately Roman Catholic Southeast Asian nation dozens of men re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by having themselves nailed to wooden crosses.

At the same time hundreds of others, mostly men, strip to the waist and whip themselves until their backs are cut and bloody as a way of atoning for their sins over the past year.

The Catholic church frowns upon the crucifixions and self flagellations which have become a tourist attraction in a number of towns around the country.

The department of health issued a health warning advising people taking part in the rituals this Friday to have tetanus shots and to check the condition of the whip they will use before lashing their backs.



Always good advice.

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