Four Things to Remember When Attending the Sinulog

The Sinulog is a time when Cebuano’s flock the street to venerate that Child Jesus or the Santo Nino.  The mood of the festivities ranged from the solemn to the raucous as Cebuano’s from all over the province and tourists from all over the world partake in the celebration.  From the solemn procession, to beauty pageants, to countless of households partying and cooking, to the Grand Procession, everyone  is all smiles and immersed in the fever of Pit Senyor!

As such, it is very easy to forget that similar to other times, one should take care of one’s self and belongings.

1. Take care of your things.

With all the festivities going on, and all the attractions to see, it is easy to become complacent.  Remember that with the huge crowd also comes the thieves, snatchers and pickpockets.  This is true, especially during the Grand Parade where thousands of people line the parade route and during the Solemn Procession where the devotees hold up their statuettes of the Child Jesus and dance to the beats.  A lot of mobile phones, wallets, jewelry and other valuable stuff have been lost during the Sinulog celebrations.  Some had fallen unnoticed to the ground, while the majority has been taken by swift hands.

Keep everything in your pockets.  If you have shorts that have zippers on its pockets, all the better.  If you do not, then consider wearing a belt bag with a sturdy strap, so that you could still keep your things safe while watching the parade.

Sling bags are quite a no-no.  For some people, they wear a sling bag around their necks and put their money and mobile phones in it.  That is quite dangerous as a sling bag could easily be snatched away from your neck, sometimes leaving rope burns and bruises on it.

For cameras, make sure that you have your ready camera bag that you can put your camera in just in case you become too tired to take pictures.  Do not sling your camera over your neck.

2. Leave the unnecessary stuff at home.

While the Grand Parade is an opportune time to see and be seen, resist the temptation to deck yourself with jewelry.  It is best to, just leave all the gold and silver necklaces, rings and bracelets at home.  Besides, the Sinulog has a tribal feel to it, so wooden and native accessories are all the rage.  If you feel the need to accessorize, you can probably buy a cute wooden trinket on your way to the parade grounds for less than P50.

If you are traveling with companions, consider leaving your mobile phone at home.  If you cannot part with your mobile phone, consider carrying an older model such as a Nokia 5110 or an old Alcatel model rather than your eye catching iPhones or Nokia N-series phone.

Do bring enough money for the festivities, though.  Remember that the Sinulog is one festivity after another, and it is easily seen as one party after another.  Bring money for taxi fare, jeepney fare, food and drinks.

3. Dress comfortably.

For most people, the Sinulog is an all day event.  The Grand Parade itself, starts early in the morning and finishes in the early evening.  Then it goes well into the night as Cebuano’s party all around Cebu into the morning.  So dress comfortably.

Comfy footwear is essential.  Wear something light on your feet, preferably open toed sandals and old shoes.  Expect to do a lot of walking for the Sinulog festivities as most routes are closed to traffic.  You do not want sore feet and cracked heels to dampen the festivities, do you?

Wear light clothing.  You would be under the cruel heat of the sun for most of the day, so wear clothes that breath.  A white tee shirt, colorful shorts or baggy saris are a good choice.  Try to eschew skinny jeans and silk uppers.

Hats and sunglasses are your friends.  They do not only complete the Sinulog look, but they also provide protection from the heat of the sun.

4. Protect yourself more!

You need to protect yourself from the sun.  To do this, keep these things in mind:

• Keep hydrated.  Drink lots of water and do bring a bottle of mineral water with you at all times.
• Wear sunscreen.  You will be under the sun for a good part of the day, it would make perfect sense to keep out its UV rays by wearing sunscreen.
• Bring your own shade.  An umbrella might put a crimp on your cool factor, but you will thank yourself for it when the sun gets extremely hot.
• Look for “exit” places.  If the heat becomes unbearable, be sure to have an “exit” strategy in place.  It could be a fast food joint that offers blissful air conditioning,, or an outdoor cafe that serves frozen fraps.  Make sure that your body gets to cool down when you need it.

Sinulog Festival in Cebu Philippines

Sinulog Festival Location:
Cebu City Philippines

Sinulog Festival Schedule:
Every third Sunday of January

About Sinulog Festival:

Sinulog Festival is a festival in Cebu Philippines that pays tribute to the patron of Cebu City, Santo Niño or Holy Child. In veneration to the patron, people in cebu or cebuanos present dance rituals and have some competitions with their performance. Dancers came from different places and wear their colorful costumes and combine them with their artistic props and lively music which includes rhythm of native gongs, drums and trumpets. Traditionally, the Sinulog celebration lasts for 9 days wherein during the last day would be the Sinulog grand parade. During the dawn before the final day of the sinulog celebration, a fluvial procession is being held with their santo niño with flowers and candles on a pump boat. The procession usually ends at Basilica where a re-enactment of Christianizing Cebu is being performed. There would then be a formal procession that would take place on the streets which would last for hours because of the crowd participating the Sinulog festival.

Background of the Sinulog Dance

Sinulog came from the Cebuano adverb sulog that means like water current movement (forward backward movement during the Sinulog dance together with the sound of the drums. Candle vendors also perform this dance step most especially when people buy a candle from them.

History

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan arrived on April 7, 1521 and placed the cross on the shores of Cebu wherein he claimed the territory in the name of the King of Spain. He offered the image of the child Jesus, the Santo Niño, as baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon. Hara Amihan was later named, Queen Juana in honor of Juana, mother of Carlos I. Some 800 natives were also baptized to the Christian faith along with the rulers of the island. At the moment of receiving the image, it was said that Queen Juana danced with joy holding the image of the child Jesus. With the other natives following her example, this moment was considered as the first Sinulog.

This event is commonly used as basis for most Sinulog dances, which perform the coming of the Spaniards and the presentation of the Santo Niño to the Queen. A popular theme among Sinulog dances is Queen Juana holding the Santo Niño in her arms and using it to bless her people who are often troubled by sickness caused by demons and other evil spirits.