Sinulog Festival 2012 Celebration in Cebu City
Sinulog Festival: Dancing Away the Faith – In Cebu City, Philippines, people conduct a grand celebration every year. A festival that gives an ode to the Cebuanos’ pagan origin and eventually the birth of Roman Catholicism for their people. At the same time, this festival for Cebuanos is a good way of receiving favors from their Sto. Niño. The Sinulog Festival occurs always on the third Sunday of January. The Sinulog Festival as a whole, happens in nine days with the Sinulog Grand Parade as the final event. In an exciting and life-filled event such as this, a variety of activities take place, igniting the place with boundless joy and life. What happens on a typical Sinulog day? For one thing, there will always be the street parade. In fact, it is these street parades that make the Sinulog Festival the way it is viewed as today. In moments like this, there are different music and melodies that Sinulog attendees and lovers dance to. Whether it’s to the drums, gongs, trumpets, or other unique musical instruments, it is the beat of the Sinulog festival that keeps them going. In more low key areas of Cebu City, people have their simpler versions of Sinulog, still as an ode to Santo Niño. For example, the “Sinulog sa Kabataan” is all about the children and the youth who also want to have their similar parades. Other than the really joyous and vibrant experiences in the festival, people also have more quiet and toned down versions of the celebration such as processions and hymns still as an ode to their beliefs.
Sinulog Festival 2012 : Cebu City
In one way or another, one might wonder how the Sinulog Festival in itself is an expression of their beliefs. The Sinulog Festival is actually done not just to show the process of the way they accepted a new religion but of the way they expressed joy in it through dancing. This dancing of theirs is actually a backward and forward dance hence the meaning of Sinulog which is a backward and forward movement of the waters. In this light, the festival as a whole is about the two-fold things: the idea of celebrating the acceptance of the people of Roman Catholicism and Jesus Christ and at the same time, the ways in which they expressed this acceptance through dancing and using their bodies, talents, and feelings. This year, the Sinulog Festival will be celebrated from January 13 to 16, 2012 in Cebu City.
In anything that celebrates may it be related to religion, event or people, there is always something beautiful to be noticed and appreciated about it. Naturally, the ways in which we express our appreciation and fascination with these things are done in different ways. From songs, movies, to awards, the methods are endless.
Category: Events