4/13/2006: Bloody Easter
 

http://cellar.org/2006/pinflaggelation.jpg

You think you take Easter celebrations seriously, what with your whole Cadbury Egg-eating and such? You're a piker compared to the likes of this guy. He's a Filipino, and he's engaged in flagellating himself, but just to make sure the process is as bloody as possible, he has someone else punch a few pinholes in his back first.

It's interesting partly because IotD has previously featured Ashoura, the Shiite festival which involves a lot of blood and self-punishment. So here a blood ritual is used during Easter. Did the idea of a blood ritual migrate halfway around the world and across religious boundaries? Or is bloodletting so basic to spirituality that it naturally becomes a part of the spiritual rituals?

And now in the days of HIV and other blood-borne pathogens, seriously people, this is just a really bad idea...

Dov would have like this picture.

It's an excellent example of how strongly a person's culture can affect them. I suspect that this guy's culture sees him as particularly devout. We see it as really icky and weird. In both cases, we see it as our culture has taught us.

Even with that understanding, I still think it's icky, weird, and unsanitary.

That and he'll need a new pair of jeans...

Looks like he has tied a bandana over his face to keep from seeing this happening. At least he knew enough to do that, otherwise he'd be unconscious on the street by now.

This guy is a slacker. He's nothing compared to the guys who have themselves crucified.

Talk about religious fanaticism...sheesh.

I'll stick to my egg hunts with the kids. A scrotum full of redbugs is about enough to satify my preferences.

I just had this horrific image of you walking along with flowered scrotum basket, picking redbugs off of the surrounding foliage and placing them in the basket.

Thanks.

:lol2:

You may call them chiggers where you live. They cause a persistently embarrassing itch, and they always seem to latch on to your nutsac. They are abundant in this area.:mg:

Well, considering that both Christianity and Islam are based in Judaism, and the bloodletting is an old Judaic custom, I don't see whee they're really crossing any boundries...

Hey Amianthus, welcome to the Cellar. :D
Your right, every society has their extremist whackos. Some even make one their leader....or congressman.

or President.

Sunday, bloody Sunday...

And why does he have a plant on his face?

It's supposed to be a crown of thorns. And I imagine the bandanna on his face is an attempt at anonymity, so he can better represent Jesus rather than being recognizable as himself.