Moriones Festival

Moriones Festival. The Moriones is a lenten rites held annually on Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines.

The Moriones or Moryonan tradition has inspired the creation of other festivals in the Philippines where cultural practices or folk history are turned into street festivals. The Moriones is an annual festival held on Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines.

Moriones Festival. The participants use morion masks to depict the Roman soldiers and Syrian mercenaries within the story of the Passion of the Christ. The mask was named after the 16th and 17th century Morion helmet. The Moriones refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus.

Some are wearing a naked-chest like wood costume that covers their entire chest up to their belly. They are also wearing a sandal resembling a Roman soldier’s sandals with many straps. Moriones Festival is one of the most colourful folk-religious street festivals in the country.