EXPERIENCE HOLY W E E K

Easter is usually celebrated at the end of March or beginning of April, but dates change every year. San Fernando City’s hotels are basic, and tend to be fully booked weeks in advance, so early reservations are advised

Emergency services are always busy at this time of the year. “We try to keep people away from infections. Fortunately, most cuts are superficial and not as bad as they look,” confides a nurse on the scene, who requests to remain anonymous.

Some tourists look on in disgust, and many turn their eyes away from the scene when the devotees are nailed to the cross. It’s a macabre show, and not for the faint-hearted. Despite the throngs of people, the opinion of this audience is divided. Some – like Maldonado – admire the strength and devotion of the penitents; others – many of them atheists – consider San Pedro Cutud’s commemoration of the Holy Week as an anachronistic ritual that is out of place in the 21st century.

One thing is certain: It does not leave the spectators indifferent. ag MIGUEL CANDELA is a photographer currently based in Hong Kong, specialising in social features across Asia. He won Best New Talent at the 2012 Prix de la Photographie (Px3) Paris competition.

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