The Sinulog Festival
Cebu City
PUBLISHED April 28, 2016
PHOTOS | WORDS BY MARIANO SAYNO
Sinulog Festival, also known as the Sto. Nino Festival, is an annual religious and cultural celebration that takes place every January. It draws in 1-2 million visitors and is one of the most well-known festivals in the Philippines. It is held during the 3rd Sunday of January and focuses on the veneration of the Holy Image of Sto. Nino. This festival is almost as colorful and grandeur as the world-famous Rio Carnival and is sure to be an unforgettable experience for all of you.
- Cebu City
Sinulog Festival also known as the Sto. Nino Festival, is an annual religious and cultural event, which takes place every January, draws in 1-2 million visitors from all over the country and is the first of the most well-known festivals in the Philippines.
This annual religious event is held during the 3rd Sunday of January each year and is the centre of Catholic celebrations for the Sto. Nino in the Philippines. This festival is focused on the veneration of the Holy Image of Sto. Nino housed in the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in downtown Cebu City.
- Cebu City
The Beauty of
Experience the Joy of Cebu’s Most Celebrated Festival: The Sinulog Festival!
Sinulog Festival, also known as the Sto. Nino Festival, is an annual religious and cultural celebration that takes place every January. It draws in 1-2 million visitors and is one of the most well-known festivals in the Philippines. It is held during the 3rd Sunday of January and focuses on the veneration of the Holy Image of Sto. Nino. This festival is almost as colorful and grandeur as the world-famous Rio Carnival and is sure to be an unforgettable experience for all of you.
PHOTOS | WORDS BY MARIANO SAYNO
PUBLISHED April 28, 2016
Sinulog Festival also known as the Sto. Nino Festival, is an annual religious and cultural event, which takes place every January, draws in 1-2 million visitors from all over the country and is the first of the most well-known festivals in the Philippines.
This annual religious event is held during the 3rd Sunday of January each year and is the centre of Catholic celebrations for the Sto. Nino in the Philippines. This festival is focused on the veneration of the Holy Image of Sto. Nino housed in the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in downtown Cebu City.
Sinulog Festival also known as the Sto. Nino Festival, is an annual religious and cultural event, which takes place every January, draws in 1-2 million visitors from all over the country and is the first of the most well-known festivals in the Philippines.
This annual religious event is held during the 3rd Sunday of January each year and is the centre of Catholic celebrations for the Sto. Nino in the Philippines. This festival is focused on the veneration of the Holy Image of Sto. Nino housed in the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in downtown Cebu City.
The name of the festival comes from the Cebuano word “sulog” which means “like water current movement”, symbolizing the unique forward-backward step of the Sinulog dance. If you’re in the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu, you can easily spot the Sinulog dance as the candle vendors perform a traditional version of the dance each time they light a candle for the customer.
The festivities start early in the morning, as the streets of Cebu become alive with the sound of drums and music. Crowds line the streets dressed in their vibrant sinulog-themed attires, eagerly awaiting the grand parade. As the parade begins, deafening cheers, music and firecrackers fill the air.
The grand parade is only the beginning of the festivities, as days and weeks prior to the main event, there are a series of fun events and activities for everyone to enjoy.
Once the parade is over, the night sky is illuminated with the spectacular pyromusical shows. This is a truly mesmerizing show, with fireworks lighting up the night sky in colorful hues. This festival is almost as colorful and grandeur as the world-famous Rio Carnival, and it is sure to be an unforgettable experience for all ages.
The story of the Santo Niño de Cebú dates back to 1521, when the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan presented the image of the infant Jesus to Rajah Humabon of Cebu. Upon receiving the holy image, Queen Juana, the main consort of Rajah Humabon, danced with joy and was followed by the other natives. This event is considered to be the first Sinulog dance and is the basis for most Sinulog dances today.
The Santo Niño image is the oldest Christian artifact in the country. It is a dark wooden statue, measuring approximately one foot tall, dressed like a Spanish monarch, with imperial regalia such as a golden crown, globus cruciger, and sceptres, as well as various jewelries. The image has been replicated in various parts of the country with different titles.
The Sinulog dance steps are believed to have originated from Baladhay, the Rajah’s adviser. It’s an interesting story that goes back hundreds of years.
The story goes that Baladhay was ill and the Rajah put him in the same room as the Santo Niño. Miraculously, Baladhay was healed after a few days. When the villagers heard him shouting and dancing in joy, they asked him why he was doing this and he said it was because the Santo Niño was tickling him.
To this day, devotees still practice the Sinulog dance steps as a way of honoring the image of the Santo Niño.
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