Sinulog Festival – Grand Festival of Cebu

SINULOG FESTIVAL

Photo from: http://www.whatshappening.com.ph/404-page-not-found/

The Sinulog festival is one of the grandest, most distinguished and most colorful festivals in the Philippines. The major 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 fundamentally a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people’s pagan past and their recognition of Christianity.

The festival features some the country’s most colorful displays of ceremony and pageantry: participants clothe in bright-colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums and native gongs. The streets are generally lined with vendors and pedestrians all wanting to witness the street-dancing. Smaller versions of the festival are also held in different parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a Sinulog sa Kabataan, which is performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the Grand Parade.

The celebration traditionally lasts for nine days, ending on the ninth day when the Sinulog Grand Parade reveals. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession, a water-parade, held at dawn from the Mandaue City wharf to Cebu City wharf with the Santo Niño carried on a pump boat decorated with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianizing of Cebu follows. In the afternoon, a more formal procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowd participating in the religious event. Read More: http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_festivals/sinulog_festival.html

Photo from: http://mycebu.ph/article/sinulog-festival-2015-schedule/

Sinulog Festival is one of the biggest and most popular festivals in the Philippines. It is held annually, on the 3rd Sunday of January in Cebu City to honour the Sto. Niño (or the child Jesus).

The Festival is characterized by a grand and very long parade of groups of people with colourful costumes, choreographed dancing of the parade participants to the lively beat of the drums and native musical instruments, and beautifully designed floats for the thousands of showcased images of Sto. Niño. The parade is also full of loud chanting and shouting of praise to Sto. Niño as the people believes that the louder they shout, the more the Sto. Niño will hear their prayers. Lots of natives and tourists lined the streets to watch this colourful parade. It is also a pretty good day for street vendors, taking advantage of the hype and celebration to sell food, souvenirs, and other items. Read More: http://www.pinoystop.org/sinulog-festival-101/

Photo from: http://iamaileen.com/sinulog-festival-cebu-philippines/

The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival commemorates the Cebuano people’s pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.

The features a street parade with participants in bright coloured costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a “Sinulog sa Kabataan” performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the parade. Recently, the festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex. Read More: http://www.kliknfly.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=03_03&wr_id=46

Photo from: http://www.complexmania.com/sinulog-festival/