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| Sinulog Festival | |
|---|---|
 A Sinulog festival queen carries the Holy Child Jesus, locally known as Santo Niño | |
| Official name | Sinulog Festival |
| Also called | Sinulog |
| Observed by | Cebu City |
| Type | Religious/cultural |
| Significance | In honor of theHoly Child and theChristianization of the Filipino people |
| Celebrations |
|
| Date | Third Sunday in January |
| 2024 date | January 21 (2024-01-21) |
| 2025 date | January 19 (2025-01-19) |
| 2026 date | January 18 (2026-01-18) |
| 2027 date | January 17 (2027-01-17) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | January 20, 1980; 45 years ago (1980-01-20) |
| Related to | |
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TheSinulog Festival (also known asSinug and Sulog) is an annual Filipino cultural and religious festival held on the third Sunday of January inCebu, with the center of the activities being inCebu City; and is the core ofSanto Niño Christian celebrations in the country.[1]
The festival is widely regarded as one of the largest cultural and religious celebrations in the Philippines, with the 2025 event attracting over four million attendees.[2] Aside from the religious aspect of the festival, Sinulog is also famous for itsstreet parties, usually happening the night before and on the night of the main festival.[3] The event is sometimes referred to as the "Grandest Festival in the Philippines" by participants and locals.[4]
Other places in the Philippines also celebrate their own version of the festival in honor of the Santo Niño, both within the province of Cebu, such asCarmen, and outside, includingTondo,Kabankalan,General Santos,Maasin,Cagayan de Oro,Butuan,Pagadian,Balingasag, andDon Carlos.
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The wordSinulog comes from theCebuano adverbsulog, roughly meaningwater current, an analogy to the forward–backward dance movements, performed to the sound of drums. This is a ritual prayer dance honoring the Señor Santo Niño, orChild Jesus.
According to historical accounts, Cebuanos performed similar dances in honor ofanimist idols long before the introduction of Christianity to the Philippines, which reached Cebu with the arrival ofFerdinand Magellan at the head of a Spanish expedition on April 7, 1521. The original image of the Santo Niño was reportedly left by the Magellan expedition and rediscovered when the Spanish returned in 1565, during the expedition led byMiguel López de Legazpi, which played a significant role in the subsequentSpanish colonial period in the Philippines.
Sinulog is observed as a celebration of the Filipino people's embrace of Christianity, marking a significant moment in the country's religious and cultural history, particularly in Cebu. The first ofthese conversions happened in 1521 on the island of Cebu, whenIndianized-Sanskritized rulerRajah Humabon and his queen Amihan (Humamay) were baptized along with their subjects, becoming Carlos and Juana of Cebu.[5][irrelevant citation]
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On March 16, 1521,Ferdinand Magellan arrived and planted the Christian cross on the shores ofCebu, claiming the territory for Spain. He presented the image of the Child Jesus to theRajah Humabon. Hara Humamay (or Amihan in some versions) was later named Queen Juana after Juana, mother ofCharles I of Spain, and she, along with the rulers of the island and some 800 natives, wereconverted to the Christian faith.
Some Sinulog dances interpret the historical events surrounding the arrival of the Spaniards and the presentation of the Santo Niño to Queen Juana, though other performances may emphasize different aspects of the festival's history and significance. A popular theme among Sinulog dances is Queen Juana holding the Santo Niño in her arms and using it to bless her people, who were often afflicted with sickness believed to be caused by demons and other evil spirits.
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The expedition led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi bombarded the native settlement when they arrived on April 28, 1565. Inside a burning hut, one of Legazpi's men, Juan Camus, discovered the image of the Santo Niño inside a wooden box beside other idols. When Legazpi arrived, he found that the natives performed dances, which were later associated with the honoring of the Santo Niño. TheAugustinian friars who accompanied López de Legazpi in his expedition built a church on the site where it was found, called San Agustin Church, later renamed toBasilica Minore del Santo Niño.
Since the 16th century, there has been great devotion to the Santo Niño in Philippine popular piety, particularly in theVisayas. Pilgrims from different parts of Cebu and the rest of the country make a yearly journey to the church to take part in the procession and festival. Starting in 1980, the Cebu City government organized the Sinulog Festival and eventually gave incentives also to tribal dance groups.[citation needed] The first Sinulog parade was held on January 20, 1980,[6] organized by Dávid Odilao, then regional director of theMinistry of Youth and Sports Development, with the Sinulog conceptualized to be a "true Cebuano festival",[7] comparable to theDinagyang ofIloilo and theAti-atihan ofAklan, both of which also celebrate the feast of Santo Niño. The idea caught on, and under the direction of then-Cebu City mayorFlorentino Solon, the project was led by the Cebu City Historical Committee.
In the 2000s and early 2010s, law and order during the Sinulog celebration was an issue. Large street parties were celebrated throughout the city, notably along General Maxilom Avenue (also known as Mango Avenue) and the Baseline area along Juana Osmeña Street. Rowdy partygoers often caused trouble, and many were later found sleeping along the city's streets due to intoxication. In 2016, street parties along the Sinulog carousel route were banned in an effort to control most of these disturbances.[8]
The Devotee City, a temporary settlement consisting of reusedshipping containers, was launched in 1996 to accommodate devotees traveling from far-flung areas who had no other place to stay in the city. It has usually been located in the open space surrounding theCompania Maritima building, only a few meters away from theMagellan's Cross and theBasilica del Santo Niño.[9][10][11][12]
The festival was cancelled in 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[13] and again in 2022 due to the devastation caused byTyphoon Rai to Cebu.[14] In 2023, the grand parade was moved toSouth Road Properties from theCebu City Sports Center, its longtime home. It was moved back in August 2024, after two years.[15]
Cebuanos also celebrate Sinulog worldwide in Filipino communities, such as the "Winter Sinulog", held in January in cold countries, and "Summer Sinulog", held in August inPhiladelphia, US.
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The Cebu City Historical Committee, which is responsible for the conceptualization of Sinulog as a provincial event, decided[when?] to adopt a logo to identify it as an institutionalized yearly event. They turned to the coat of arms of the Santo Niño, which consists of a two-headed hawk, the mark of the rulingHouse of Habsburg in Europe. At the time when Spain sent expeditions to the Philippines, it was under the Habsburg dynasty. The emblem represented the twin purpose of the Habsburg dynasty as "Champion of Catholicism and Defender of the Faith".[16] The committee chose to use an indigenous warrior's shield, symbolizing Filipino resistance to colonization, with the Santo Niño's coat of arms printed on its face, representing the country's acceptance of Christianity.[citation needed]
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