Sinulog Festival – Cebu City 2018
In Cebu City the month of January is the month of the Sinulog festival. It is one of the most famous festivals on the Philippine calendal. The Festival attracts millions of visitors each year. The main event is the full-day procession also known as the Grand Parade. This takes place on Sunday, January 21. Participants come from the different towns and cities of Cebu and from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Sinulog dancers are dressed in bright coloured costumes dancing gracefully to the rhythm of drums, gongs and trumpets. The other attraction is the street parties which take place the day before and the day of the main event.
The Grand Parade is a very colourful and spectacular event, not to be missed. The parade starts at 4AM at the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño where the statue is housed in glass casing. The festival is held in celebration of one of the country’s most famous historic relics: the Santo Niño de Cebú. This is the statue of the baby Jesus that was handed to the Rajah of Cebu by the Portuguesel-born Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. This is one of the most important events in the Catholic history of the country. The word Sinulog refers to the flowing movements of the dancers who act out the scenes of this Spanish encounter.
Festivities, contests and other events are scheduled the entire month of January. Please check here for the 2018 program.
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- Sinulog Festival Parade. Girl with statue of St.Nino. Picture by Henry Desabelle.
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- Sinulog Festival Parade 2015 – picture by Henry Desabelle
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- Sinulog Festival Parade 2015. Dancer. Picture by Henry Desabelle.
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- Sinulog Festival Parade 2015. Boy resting. Picture by Henry Desabelle.
