You may have heard of it; the Sinulog is famous internationally and hordes of tourists fly in just for the Sinulog. During the Sinulog it is absolutely impossible to book a hotel room in Cebu. The Sinulog one of the biggest if not the biggest festival in Southeast Asia. It is the mother of all fiestas.
Sinulog is a coming together of Cebuano's love for religion, dancing, and pageants. A plethora of events are scheduled around the Sinulog - from the Miss Cebu pageant to martial arts competitions. It is impossible to do the Sinulog justice whether via a website or a documentary film; you just have to be there. This feature on the Sinulog is a completely inadequate attempt to give you a rough idea of some of the flavor of this mega event.
Essentially, the Sinulog, which takes place in the third week of January, can be defined as the feast day - i.e. fiesta - of the Santo Nio, i.e. Child Jesus. As such, the procession in which an icon of the saint is carried around and followed by devotees comprises an essential element of the fiesta. The dancing in the parade on the following day, Sinulog Day, is a tribute to the Santo Nino. A fluvial procession is also a traditional part of the festivities; both processions take place on Saturday. Sunday is Sinulog Day.
