Sinulog Festival is a grand celebration of Cebuano culture that takes place every third Sunday of January. A festival is an annual event that draws thousands from around the world to witness its colorful parade, colorful floats, and dancing groups. If you plan to attend your first Sinulog Festival, here are fun things to know about the festival and how you can prepare for your first visit!
History of Sinulog Festival
The Sinulog Festival is celebrated to honor the child image of Jesus Christ, which is said to be miraculous. It is also a dance ritual that commemorates Filipinos' acceptance and embrace of Christianity. The dance steps originated from Rajah Humabon's adviser, Baladhay, whose sickness was healed by Santo Niño. He was bedridden and unable to move at first but then began shouting with glee upon being placed in the shrine where sculptures of Santo Niño and pagan gods were kept. He remarked that a small child was tickling him to wake up.
He tried to shoo the kid away by dancing in a manner reminiscent of a river's stream because he was startled. It was the inaugural Sinulog dance. The word "Sinulog" comes from the Cebuano adverb "sulog," which roughly translates to "river current movement" and is defined as "two steps ahead, one step back." Many followers think Santo Nio would have approved of this movement.
Other historians assert that before explorer Ferdinand Magellan entered Cebu, indigenous tribes performed Sinulog dances to worship wooden idols and anitos (Zebu, back then). Eight hundred people, including their rulers, were baptized into Christianity by the ship's chaplain, and Magellan presented Hara Amihan with a wooden figure of Santo Niño as a gift for her baptism into Christianity. Hara Amihan was later renamed Queen Juana in honor of Charles I's mother.
According to some accounts, Queen Juana joyfully danced. And her audience members started dancing as a result. As the saying goes, this was the first-ever Sinulog dance.
The first Sinulog Festival was held in 1980 by Dávid Odilao, then Regional Director for Youth Development for Region VIII (now called Northern Mindanao), who at that time was also a member of the Cabinet Committee on Youth Development.
The Sinulog Festival is an event that features parades, dances, and street parties. It attracts more than 150,000 people from all over the world every year. The festival is also highlighted by a beauty pageant (Miss Cebu), fashion show, food fairs, and concerts.
Things to do during the Sinulog Festival
The Sinulog Festival has a variety of things to do. You can experience the Grand Street Parade, which is a procession of floats and musicians that starts at Plaza Independencia and end at Plaza Rizal in Cebu City. The primary event is where the community's ingenuity and playful side are displayed. The Sinulog grand procession is regarded as Asia's most colorful festival and may compete with Rio's vibrant festival.
There are also many other activities happening throughout the day, including:
1. Joining the street celebrations.
There are street parties all across Cebu in the evening before and after the major procession. Join the crowd, receive a beer shower, and have your face painted.
2. Enjoying food stands and Cebuano cuisine
Cebu is one of the best places in the Philippines to savor Filipino cuisine. It is known for its famous lechon or roasted pig. You will undoubtedly appreciate the regional specialties in Cebu eateries, including the well-known Lechon, rumba, b-ami, and puso. You may also look at the halal food options in Cebu.
3. Watch the fireworks display at the end of the parade
Watch the fireworks display in the evening to help the Sinulog festival's big finale in Cebu, the Philippines, go off with a bang.
4. Going around the City
There are many instagrammable spots in Cebu City that you can visit during your stay in the city.
Cebu City's Magellan's Cross is a landmark in the Philippines' Cebu province. So, while learning about Cebu's fascinating past, enjoy a nighttime stroll from Basilica Minore del Santo Nio to Magellan's Cross. Join one of the scenic, historical, or pilgrimage tours that you can include in your itinerary for Cebu. If you wish to independently tour Cebu City and other places in the province, you may also choose to rent a car in Cebu.
If you want an outdoor adventure but don't want to travel far away from home for your holiday experience, try any number of exciting activities offered by local communities around the beautiful islands of Visayas!
Why should you not miss Sinulog Festival 2023
The Sinulog Festival is a festival that should not be missed by anyone who has the chance to visit the Philippines. This festival is very important to the people of the Philippines, and it has been celebrated for years.
If you are planning to go to Cebu, it is important to know that this festival is one of the most popular events in the city. You can experience the culture and tradition of Cebu through Sinulog Festival 2023.
This festival gives you a chance to see local people in their traditional outfits during this celebration. It also allows you to see colorful celebrations which are usually seen during this time period.
How to prepare for your visit to Cebu City for the Sinulog Festival 2023
Book accommodations in advance. If you're planning to visit Cebu, you should book your accommodations in advance. This will ensure that you have a place to stay and that the place has the amenities that you need.
But suppose you are looking for a pre-selling condominium in Cebu that you can invest in, Suarez Residences Cebu is a condo that Vista Residences is pre-selling. It is thoughtfully situated just inside Metro Cebu's busy area. This unique 29-storey L-shaped structure offers studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, all of which come with breathtaking unit views, so residents may experience the luxury of condo life. The enormous city view that this luxurious unit offers will be more accessible to condo owners who reside in Suarez Residences.
Comfortable clothes and footwear. The best thing you can do is make sure you're wearing clothes that are right for being outside in public during this festival. You want to feel confident and comfortable, so wear clothes that are easy to move around in and that are light enough, so they don't weigh you down.
Also, make sure your shoes are comfy too! It's important that they fit well, so they don't rub or hurt when walking around all day long!
Wear a sunblock that's waterproof and has a high SPF rating of at least 30, if you can find one. The weather is usually sunny with some rain showers during the day, but it's usually cool at night, so bring layers that you can easily take off when needed. Make sure your shoes are sturdy enough for walking around all day long!
If you're planning to visit the Sinulog Festival this year, you may want to clear your phone memory for photos and videos. Since it's such a large event, if you don't clear your phone memory after taking photos or videos during your visit to Cebu City this year, they might not be able to load onto your phone when you return home—and then you'll have no way of sharing those memories with anyone else!
So make sure that during your trip to Cebu City this year, you clear out any photos or videos on your phone before leaving!
And finally, in order to take advantage of all this fun while visiting Cebu during the Sinulog Festival, you should plan your itinerary early so that you can get around easily and see everything before it gets too crowded!
We hope this article has helped you decide if a trip to Cebu City is right for you and your family. We know that there are many ways to enjoy an experience, and we encourage everyone to find the one that will bring them the most pleasure. For us, Cebu City is the ideal place to spend a vacation. It offers a little bit of everything: beaches, mountains, culture and nightlife. It's also easy to get around with cheap accommodation and plenty of activities.
For more information on Vista Residences, email [email protected], follow @VistaResidencesOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, or call the Marketing Office at 0999 886 4262 / 0917 582 5167.
