Hearing the Beat of the Drums in Cebu’s Sinulog Festival
When Rio de Janiero celebrates its famous carnival before Lent season, some other parts of the globe are also having the same celebration. Germany and other German-speaking countries like Austria and Switzerland are also celebrating their so-called Fasching, also called as Fastnacht, Fasnet or Fasnet, depending on the the location. It is simply called carnaval or carnival.
A group performing in Sinulog festival contest held in Cebu City Sports Complex.
In the Philippines, there are almost the same festivities but this is in relation to religious celebration. For example the famous Sinulog festival in Cebu City is held every year on the third Sunday of January. The festival commemorates the Filipino people’s pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.
The highlight of Sinulog is the street parade. Here you can find the participants wearing bright coloured costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs. I am thinking if any of the groups uses a cheap line 6 amplifier during their performance. After the parade there is a contest usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex.
I already witnessed this festival twice and I am hoping to witness it again in the future. Recently, the Sinulog festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction in Cebu City.
If you are visiting Cebu during the third week of January, don’t miss to witness this celebration. I bet, you will have a great time when seeing this festival.
