Sinulog Festival – re-enacts the event where Queen Juana had blessed the people brought down by the evil spirits.

Sinulog Festival

In a Christian country as the Philippines, there is nothing more significant than commemorating the event when Christianity was first introduced and was embraced by the Cebuano people. Considered to be among the biggest and the grandest festivals in the country, Sinulog festival is a very colorful and religious event traditionally held every year, particularly on the third Sunday of January to pay homage to the Holy Infant Jesus, most popularly called, the Sto. Nino for Christian people.

Although Sinulog Festival is always associated to Cebu city where the festival’s history had originated, smaller adaptations of the festivity are also being held and observed in many provinces in the country. The Sinulog sa Kabankalan in Kabankalan city located in Negros Occidental is another big version of Cebu Sinulog where people who are unable to be there in Cebu and are rather closer to Kabankalan can still get a feel of what Sinulog festival is all about. Most of its visitants are people from the neighboring city of Bacolod and even some, from Dumaguete despite the latter’s proximity to Cebu.

Sinulog is a term that came from a Cebuano word ’sulog’ that pretty much describes the Sinulog dance movement with its likeness to the motion of the water current. The Sinulog dance, in a way, re-enacts the event where Queen Juana had blessed the people with illness brought down by the evil spirits. That is where the Sinulog dance had derived its theme from. People dance on the streets with the image of Sto. Nino in their arms and shouting all their petitions in the belief that by doing so, the Sto. Nino will hear their plea and grant them their wishes. This is an ancient dance incorporated with a modern parade and is accompanied by the drumbeats.

Sinulog Festival is a 9-day event celebration with its highlight on the last day where the popular long Sinulog parade commences. And just like other religious festivals in the country, Sinulog has long since become one of the Philippines’ grand tourist attractions. Many tourists from different parts of the world come and witness the Filipinos’ tremendous display of religious’ ceremonial elegance and pageantry. This festivity symbolizes hope for most of the people who strongly believe in the community of faith. Sinulog festival also unites the whole nation into one as people from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao celebrate the festival with a unifying theme, showing the whole world that religion is an integral aspect of the nation with a strong influence both on the government and the people’s way of life.

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