It’s been 10 years since the last time I went home to Cebu and experience SINULOG and its festivities. This year I decided to come home and pay my homage to the miraculous Child Jesus, the patron of the Queen City of the South.
When we were kids, my sis and I would look forward to Sinulog and the dancing festivities in the streets. My parents always brought us to watch the street dancing and allowed us to walk in the streets of Cebu without fear of any vehicles moving about. We used to always have a Sinulog shirt, feathered hat and markings on our face as we watch the street dancing competition.
The SINULOG is the feast celebrated in honor of the Child Jesus or the Sto Nino de Cebu. It was said that the image of the Child Jesus was a gift from the Queen of Spain to the wife of then Cebu chieftain Raja Humabon back in the 1500’s. The modern festivities now include the Sto Nino’s image travelling to Mactan and be returned to Cebu City via a fluvial parade with boats registering to be part of it. This event also includes the historic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the whole province. After the early morning fluvial parade, an afternoon long city street procession happens as the images are paraded and brought back to the historic Basilica Minore del Sto Nino. And on the following day, which is usually the 3rd Sunday of January is the much awaited SINULOG Mardi Gras, the Cebuanos dance offering to the Sto Nino with steps that go two steps forward and one step back and saying, “Pit Senor” or “Viva Sto Nino”. The street dancing goes around the major thoroughfare usually in the uptown area of the city and ends at the Cebu City Sports Complex.
This year I really wanted to be part of the procession once again and feel the beat and heat of the Sinulog dancers on the street. As usual with the protection of the Sto Nino, this year’s procession was peaceful and was estimated to have been participated by more than 1M devotees walking, praying and singing --- and most of them carrying their images of the Sto Nino. My sis, her husband Ronie and myself braved the throng of people and walked our way praying and carrying our Sto Nino image (my estimate is that this Sto Nino is 30 yrs old). My mom would have walked with us but due to her illness, she couldn’t. So this procession was really for her so that she can be with us and pay homage to the Sto Nino. The procession started at 2pm and ended with a mass inside the Basilica at around 6pm.
On Sunday, the street dancing started at 9am with the usual uptown area route. My parents always celebrated this day and so as tradition goes we had the usual luncheon salu-salo with my mom’s office staff. And it wouldn’t be complete without our famous Cebu lechon! Yumyum! The street dancing went on until early evening and my sis and I contented ourselves with watching near the Fuente Osmena area and stayed on the streets for an hour. The festive fever was still there, but now with more people! The participants with far more elaborate floats, props, costumes but the same old Sinulog beat and shouts of “Pit Senor”!
Indeed as I write this while being stranded in the airport … after 10 years the SINULOG in Cebu hasn’t lost its beat but this year is extra special because … “Pit Senor kang Mommy kini!”
Mrs Jane B.
When we were kids, my sis and I would look forward to Sinulog and the dancing festivities in the streets. My parents always brought us to watch the street dancing and allowed us to walk in the streets of Cebu without fear of any vehicles moving about. We used to always have a Sinulog shirt, feathered hat and markings on our face as we watch the street dancing competition.
The SINULOG is the feast celebrated in honor of the Child Jesus or the Sto Nino de Cebu. It was said that the image of the Child Jesus was a gift from the Queen of Spain to the wife of then Cebu chieftain Raja Humabon back in the 1500’s. The modern festivities now include the Sto Nino’s image travelling to Mactan and be returned to Cebu City via a fluvial parade with boats registering to be part of it. This event also includes the historic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the whole province. After the early morning fluvial parade, an afternoon long city street procession happens as the images are paraded and brought back to the historic Basilica Minore del Sto Nino. And on the following day, which is usually the 3rd Sunday of January is the much awaited SINULOG Mardi Gras, the Cebuanos dance offering to the Sto Nino with steps that go two steps forward and one step back and saying, “Pit Senor” or “Viva Sto Nino”. The street dancing goes around the major thoroughfare usually in the uptown area of the city and ends at the Cebu City Sports Complex.
This year I really wanted to be part of the procession once again and feel the beat and heat of the Sinulog dancers on the street. As usual with the protection of the Sto Nino, this year’s procession was peaceful and was estimated to have been participated by more than 1M devotees walking, praying and singing --- and most of them carrying their images of the Sto Nino. My sis, her husband Ronie and myself braved the throng of people and walked our way praying and carrying our Sto Nino image (my estimate is that this Sto Nino is 30 yrs old). My mom would have walked with us but due to her illness, she couldn’t. So this procession was really for her so that she can be with us and pay homage to the Sto Nino. The procession started at 2pm and ended with a mass inside the Basilica at around 6pm.
On Sunday, the street dancing started at 9am with the usual uptown area route. My parents always celebrated this day and so as tradition goes we had the usual luncheon salu-salo with my mom’s office staff. And it wouldn’t be complete without our famous Cebu lechon! Yumyum! The street dancing went on until early evening and my sis and I contented ourselves with watching near the Fuente Osmena area and stayed on the streets for an hour. The festive fever was still there, but now with more people! The participants with far more elaborate floats, props, costumes but the same old Sinulog beat and shouts of “Pit Senor”!
Indeed as I write this while being stranded in the airport … after 10 years the SINULOG in Cebu hasn’t lost its beat but this year is extra special because … “Pit Senor kang Mommy kini!”
Mrs Jane B.
