Sinulog: The grandest festival in the Philippines

The Sinulog festival is one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines with a very rich history. The main festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). It is essentially a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people’s pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity. 

Tell me other festivals in the Philippines that can attract a crowd in millions.  I think only Sinulog can do it.

The Black Nazarene procession in Manila can draw in millions of crowd. But that is a religious event and yes, it is strictly religious– not that I know many of it since I haven’t even experienced joining that kind of event in Manila. But the Sinulog is far different for it mixes religion, devotion, fun and street party.

I’d say you have missed one half of your life if you haven’t joined the crowd in Sinulog. You don’t really have to join the choreographed street dancing. Let those dancers do it. However, if you really want to dance for Sinulog, then attend the last novena mass after the procession on the eve of the Sinulog day. You can surely dance with other churchgoers and be in the drumbeat with the priests and other devotees.

Why I say Sinulog is the grandest festival in the Philippines?

It’s a yearly tradition in Cebu to hold the festival event in honor of Sto. Nino.  And almost every year, the festival is getting grander. Not only Cebuanos can enjoy Sinulog. Local tourists from all over the Philippines and even foreign ones have to join Sinulog because it really is Super Fun in Sinulog.

Even from other locales in the Philippines, they join the Sinulog parade to feature their dancing routines. There are contingents from Lanao del Norte, Dumaguete and other parts in the Philippines. Hence, the Sinulog dancing is not strictly for Cebu-based contingents. That’s one of the foremost reasons why Sinulog is the grandest parade because even non-Cebu contingents enter the dancing scene to show their veneration to the Child Jesus. text:Cebu Bloggers Society and Sinulog.ph

Pix: Tito C. Villar