Good Friday adventure

Good Friday is a holiday in the Philippines.  It's honors the day when Jesus was crucified.  The Philippines are probably 98% Catholic.  So it's a BIG holiday here.  In fact, we were told it's the Philippines biggest holiday.  

There's lots of different things that happen for Good Friday.  Like, people may go around in the streets, whipping themselves.  That is called self flagellation.  The reason they whip themselves is because of the bad things they have done.  (They are trying to repent.)  Another thing that happens is that people are nailed to a cross for a while.  (They don't leave them till they die.)  Luckily I didn't see either of these things.

Another thing that happens is an Easter procession.  We decided to go see one.  It was interesting.  

We rode to the procession in a taxi.  

Here's the driver.

We put our whole family of 6 in a 5 seat taxi.  It was crazy! I finally just sat on the floor by my mom's feet.

Here's Ammon and the girls.

This is a movie of what the streets look like while we drive.  It looks a lot different than in America!

When you stop at a stoplight, people will walk between the cars and sell food or water to people in the cars.  They will walk all the way to the end of the line of cars and then jump on a jeepney and ride back to the stoplight.  This man is selling water.

This a place where Magellen (a Spanish explorer) planted his cross when he first found the Philippines in the 1500's.  The actual cross is inside of the cross that you see.  They have covered it so that it doesn't get more damaged.  There are paintings on the roof as you can see.  They are pictures of when he arrived and when he planted the cross.

At Magellan's cross, people would buy new candles.  They wouldn't light them but they would shake them and do a dance while they sang.  I think it was a prayer for someone.  This lady is doing that.

The procession has statues of people who were close like the apostles and Mary his mother on these wagons.  The wagons were pulled by hand. There were pretty flowers or cloth with them.  They tried to make it look as realistic as possible.  

These parade floats were pulled in a parade or procession.  People join the procession with lighted candles.  This happens about dusk.  There are thousands of people here.  It's crazy!

Here is one of the floats. Those are fresh flowers.

You can see another float  lining up in the back.  By the end, the other two slots between were full too.

Here you can see some of the flowers.  They were really pretty.

It was an interesting day but it was VERY hot and crowded.  I was glad to get back in a crowded taxi and come home.  

A Walk in the Philippines

For family home evening, we went for a walk.  We took a bunch of pictures that I want to share.

Do you know what this is?  They call it a tricycle!  It's a motorcycle with a sidecab so that other people can ride in it.  The driver gets paid money to drive people around.  

This is the inside of the car of the tricycle.

This is a pedicab.  It is the same principle as the tricycle except that instead of a motorcycle on the side,  it's a bike.  

Some of the houses are weaved with bamboo or palm.  Sometimes they get different colors and make a design out of it.  It is really cool.  The woven houses also let the breeze through a little which makes it REALLY cool!  ;-)

When we walk around, little kids just follow us.  They wanted us to take a picture of them.  So we did!

There are coconut trees here!  It was so cool.  I can't wait to see the coconuts when they are ripe and falling down.  (I hope one doesn't fall on my head)

In family home evening, one thing we do is called pineapple time.  We take turns "pineapple-ing" someone for something good they have done.  When my dad "pineappled" us that night, he gave each of us a fresh pineapple!  I couldn't finish the whole thing.  They were SO good and THE PINEAPPLE DIDN'T MAKE MY TONGUE SORE!