The Feast Day of St. John the Baptist celebrations in Philippines

Filipino devotees covered in mud and dried leaves carry an image of Saint John the Baptist during a procession in a pagan religious tradition to mark the 'Taong Putik' (Mud People) festival and the Feast of Saint John the Baptist in the village of Bibicla

The Feast Day of St John the Baptist is celebrated in the Philippines every year. In the village of Bibiclat in Nueva Ecija province, people transform themselves into "taong putik" (mud people) by covering themselves in mud and wearing costumes made from dried banana leaves. This tradition represents the way John the Baptist disguised himself when he baptised Jesus Christ. Hundreds of devotees perform the annual rites in the hopes of receiving blessings and having bountiful harvest in their farming which coincides with the feast day of their patron saint.