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June 24 is observed as the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. Tradition has prescribed that people "celebrate" by dousing unsuspecting people with water, most notably in San Juan, which has caused some warmer heads to rue the day that marks the celebration of the saint. But in the town of Aliaga, in the village of Bibiclat, hundreds of devotees get up at dawn on this day, cover themselves with mud and leaves, and walk the streets collecting candles to pay homage to their patron Saint.
The locals call the ritual "Pagsa-San Juan," literally emulating Saint John. Men, women and children smear themselves with mud and don leaves and vines transforming themselves into taong putik (mud people) going house to house collecting alms of candles or cash that they would use to buy more candles. The parade of devotees would later converge at the church plaza and light the candles, praying in supplication or thanksgiving. A special mass culminates the occasion, reinforcing its spiritual nature to the people of Aliaga.
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