The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival honors the Santo Niño (Holy Child Jesus), who is the patron Saint of the City of Cebu. It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Cebuano peoples Islamic and pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism. The festival features a street parade with participants in bright colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs. The Sinulog celebration lasts for nine days, culminating on the final day with the Sinulog Grand Parade.
It is said that whenthe Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived and claimed the territory of Cebu for Spain, he presented 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. Along with the rulers of the island, some 800 natives were also baptized to the Roman Catholic Church. At the moment of receiving the idol, it was said that Queen Juana danced with joy bearing this image of the child Jesus. With the other natives following her example, this moment was regarded as the first Sinulog. This event is frequently used as basis for most Sinulog dances, which dramatize 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 afflicted by sickness caused by demons and other evil spirits.
(Above summary adapted from Wikipedia page on Sinulog Festival at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinulog)
Below are images captured from the grand festival of Sinulog 2010.
