A photo of a priest blessing a horror-themed ride at a carnival ground in Marikina City earned laughs from social media users.
On Monday, October 27, the Riverbanks Center posted photos from the blessing of its annual ChristmasSaya Carnival, which is set up for the holidays.
In the Catholic-dominated Philippines, it is a common tradition for Filipinos to invite a priest to bless new properties or establishments before they open to the public, as a way of seeking God’s grace and protection over the premises.
Meanwhile, one of the photos showed a priest blessing a newly opened ride that featured an illustration of a horror character.
The image, when seen without context, amused Filipinos who thought it looked as though the priest was blessing the horror character itself.
“Wala [nang] multo diyan, na-bless na ni father, lol,” a Facebook user said with a laughing emoji.
“Mga bad spirits after mawisikan,” another commented, sharing an image of a crawling human.
“‘Di na scary,” another Filipino commented upon seeing the priest bless the horror-themed ride.
“Blessed Horror Train,” wrote a different user.
The ChristmasSaya Carnival and Bazaar is an annual attraction at the Riverbanks Center grounds that celebrates the yuletide season with 13 rides and attractions, including the Ferris Wheel, Frisbee, Vikings, Horror Train and Top Spin.
It is open daily from 4 p.m. to midnight.
