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Devotees covered in mud and dried banana leaves take part in the Taong Putik (“mud people”) Festival on June 24, 2019 in the village of Bibiclat in Aliaga town, Nueva Ecija province, Philippines. Each year, the residents of Bibiclat village in Aliaga town celebrate the Feast of Saint John by covering themselves in mud, dried banana leaves, vines, and twigs as part of a little-known Catholic festival. According to locals, the Taong Putik festival (literally meaning “mud people festival”), traces its history from the Pacific War and reenacts how rain stopped the execution of 14 villagers by Japanese soldiers in 1944. The townsfolk considered this as a miracle from Saint John, and every year since then the villagers roll in mud to show their gratitude to the saint. The Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated throughout the country every June 24. The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian country with a predominantly Catholic majority. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)
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