Cebu City Sinulog Festival
Cebu City's Sinulog Festival is held yearly on the third Sunday of January to honor the Santo Niño, or the Child Jesus, who is the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu.
The Sinulog Festival features colorful pomp and pageantry. Participants dress in bright-colored costumes and dance to the rhythm of drums and native gongs. The whole event is a cornucopia of movement, sound, color, and pageantry.
Crowds and Street Dance
The sinulog festival is performed along the overcrowded avenues and side-streets of Cebu. The festival is now the most visible and popular of fiestas and public events. Thus Ceby City streets during the event becomes very crowded with residents, tourists and vendors all wanting to have fun and watch or join the street dance.
Child Jesus or Sto Nino
Cebu's "Sinulog" festival traces its roots to a deep devotion to the Child Jesus image by Cebu's residents. The ritual dance used in the street came from the traditional rhytmic movements people do while praying at the Sto Nino Church.
Thus the Sinulog dance ritual is a very traditional Cebuano expression towards their God Child. The dance steps is a simple movement of two steps forward and one step backward to the sound of the drums. This movement resembles the Sulog or current of Cebu's Pahina River. The Sinulog dance rhythm has very natural origins.
Street drama
In the Sinulog street dance is a retelling of the triumph of the good over evil. The Sinulog street drama is a performance in dance and mime of the battle between St Michael and Lucifer accroding to biblical tradtions.
The Sinulog festival has evolved into many yearly activities and events. facades of stores and buildings are decorated for the event. The route of the parade becomes very festive and attractive.
Contests and other events
The Sinulog festival also features a contest between groups and contingents from different parts of the country. Smaller versions of the festival are also held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño.
There is also the Sinulog ng Kabataan, which is basically Sinulog performed by the youths of Cebu.
The Sinulog Contest is traditionally held in the Cebu City Sports Complex, formerly Abellana National High School, where most of Cebu's major provincial events are held.
Philippine Travel Tips: Find the best deals, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say about the Philippines:
A1 Permalink : Philippine Travel | top of page