It’s that time of the year when millions of Black Nazarene devotees flock to Quiapo in the always-interesting event which displays Filipino faith (or fanaticism).
Fr. Douglas Badong of Quiapo Church has a curious reminder for barefoot devotees planning to join the procession on Jan 9. Trim your toenails, he said.
More than just a hygiene issue, Badong said that long toenails have become a common source of cut and injuries in the past years.
“You don’t need to get a pedicure, but just trim your toenails since long toenails can inflict injuries on [the devotee himself] or other devotees. It’s very basic but it’s one of the causes of injuries,” he said in a report by The Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The Black Nazarene procession is notorious for causing injuries and even deaths to devotees who get dehydrated or trampled upon by the crowd. In 2015, a devotee died of heart attack while fulfilling his pledge.
READ: Visuals: 2015 Feast of the Black Nazarene
Badong also reminded devotees to “rest, sleep and eat well before the procession.” He urged those who are too ill or those who are suffering from health conditions to skip the procession.
Priests expect this crowd estimate to go up this year to 18 million. The city government of Manila has declared Jan 9 as a holiday in honor of the event.
