Sinulog Festival-Cebu City

SINULOG FESTIVAL




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Philippine Pictures

The Sinulog is a dance ritual in honor of Santo Nino. It is held every year in Cebu City on the third Sunday of January.

This Sinulog dance which is the traditional and ritual dance in honor of Santo Nino is distinguished from the Ati-atihan from Panay Island.


Accompanied by the sound of the drums the sequences include the
all the time moving two steps forward followed by one step backward. Though the dance is already very old, the parade that characterized the festival was started onl in 1980.

Contrary to the belief of some, Sinulog was already danced by the locals in honor of their wooden statues in the period before the Cebuanos were baptized. Later on, after the image of the famous Santo Niño was brought to Cebu and the Catholic faith was established in the region, the dance was made a part of the early fiesta in honor of the Santo Nino.

While dancing, people are shouting petitions and thanksgivings to the Santo Nino. Shouting is necessary because the pilgrims have to be sure that they will be heard by the Santo Nino.
"Pit Senor! Senor Santo Nino."

SINULOG FESTIVAL,Mardi Gras,Sto.Nino,Cebu City

ATI-ATIHAN-KALIBO, AKLAN

ATI-ATIHAN-KALIBO, AKLAN





SINULOG FESTIVAL is to Cebu City while the Ati-Atihan is a festival in honor of the Holy Infant Jesus in Kalibo, Aklan also celebrated in the third week of January. The dancing however is done on the rhythms of the drums that makes this festival comparable with carnival in Rio in Brazil.

A parade is participated by celebrants who paint their faces in many different ways and who are dressed in the most exceptional costumes.

The practise of painting the faces was long observed before the
Spaniards came. It symbolized the friendship between the light-skinned immigrants from the island of Borneo (Kalimantan) in Indonesia and the Atis, the local people of Panay. The Ati (negritos), a small and dark (black) kinky-haired people, sold them a small piece of land and allowed them to settle down in the lowlands. The Atis themselves, lived more upland in the mountains.

One time the Ati people was in need of food because of a bad harvest in their homelands. They came down to the lowlands of the Maraynon and asked them food. Every year since then, the Atis came down to the lowland inhabitants to ask for some food. They danced and sang in gratitude for the help.

SINULOG FESTIVAL,eyes,Sto.Nino,Cebu City,Ati-Atihan

PROCESSION OF THE BLACK NAZARENE, QUIAPO, MANILA

PROCESSION OF THE BLACK NAZARENE, QUIAPO, MANILA





Every 9th of January of the year and on Good Friday, a large procession takes
place through the streets of Quiapo, a small part of metro Manila. The procession which
dates back from the 17th centuryis joined by thousands of with the life-sized, black wooden statue of Jesus (of Nazarene). These men walk barefoot as a sign of humility.
The men yell "Viva Senor" to the Statue brought to Manila in 1606. People believe that a miracle can happen after touching it.


All participants in the procession hope that they will have the opportunity to touch the wooden statue. They hope that this will protect them from harm and ensure health in the future. Some of them follow the statue during the procession because they believe it is an atonement of their sins or hope for some miracle.


SINULOG FESTIVAL,Black Nazarene,Sto.Nino,Cebu City,Ati-Atihan