Sinulog Festival 2009, Sinulog Festival, Sinulog Festival Pictures

What Is Sinulog?

The Sinulog festival is a nine day celebration beginning on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. Held in honor of the baby Jesus (or Santo Niño), there is great religion significance to the festival, and people flock from all over the world to participate.

But it isn’t just a homage paid to Cebu’s patron saint, the Santo Niño, it’s also a recognition of the pagan roots of the people, and their eventual choice to convert to the Christianity brought to them by the foreigners who passed through their great land. It’s a beautiful festival of past and present traditions, or pride in the original beliefs of the people, as well as the ones they adopted as their own.

Think of it as something beyond a mere religious event, as it’s also a huge party dedicated to the rich culture of the Philippines, and an experience you will never forget.

Sinulog 2010

The many festivities, rituals, and parades are always a treat, and Sinulog 2010 doesn’t look as though it will be any different. The schedule for the event has already been set, and there are any number of wonderful things to see and do, and whether you are there to celebrate your own Christianity, or you are there for the less religiously motivated reasons, you are sure to have the time of your life.

During the nine days of Sinulog, there are any number of activities you can participate in, from the spiritual experience of the Solemn Mass, to many parades, live shows filled with dancers and singing children, and some of the greatest street parties you will ever see.

Probably the most anticipated event of Sinulog 2010 is the annual Sinulog Grand Parade. Filled with costumed dancers, sung prayers, and fast paced traditional movements that will leave you breathless to witness, this is the highlight of the festival, and reason enough to go, just to be there to see one of the greatest street parades in the world.

What You Need To Know

So many people come to Sinulog every year, with more set for Sinulog 2010 then ever before, that it’s important to start planning your trip as early as possible. While flights are not a huge concern, booking accommodations can be difficult if you wait until the end, and so you are encouraged to begin searching for everything you will need for your trip to Cebu as early as you can, to avoid missing out on this incredible experience.

Luckily, there are any number of hotels in Cebu that begin preparing for the festival early, so they can take on as many visitors as possible, and there are additional accommodations that can be found through your local travel agent.

You will also want to book your flight ahead of time, and search for flights with fewer stopovers. You will not want to miss a single day of Sinulog 2010, and canceled flights or long waits at the airport may cause you to miss some of the beginning events that you are sure to want to see, especially the beginning exhibits and the launching program.

Events Schedule – (according to http://www.cebudaily.com/)

January 9, 2010 (Friday) – Sinulog 2010 Kick off / Launching (Sinulog Through the Years photo exhibit at Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport)

2pm – Solemn Mass (Basilica del Sto. Niño)
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3pm – Launching Parade (from the Basilica del Sto. Niño to the Cebu City Sports Center a.k.a. Abellana)
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7pm – Opening and Launching Program featuring the Mandaue City Children’s Choir, Dancesports Team Cebu, and Dance Troupes from participating schools and universities in Cebu (Fuente Osmeña)

January 10, 2010 (Saturday) – Sinulog sa Kabataan – Lalawigan (Sinulog of the children of Cebu Province)

1pm – Parade of Participants (from the Cebu Provincial Capitol to the Cebu City Sports Center a.k.a. Abellana)
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2pm – Event Proper: Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan (Cebu City Sports Center a.k.a. Abellana)
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4:30pm – Awarding of Winners (Cebu City Sports Center a.k.a. Abellana)
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7pm – Cultural Show by the Department of Education, Cebu Province (Fuente Osmeña)
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