Sinug for Sinulog.. For Him..

After 9 days of novena, the day for the Feast of Señor Santo Niño is here, the Sinulog celebration of the Cebuanos. Many have joined the Fluvial Parade and the long walk, which is a dedication of the people for the saint.

Actually, the feast is not celebrated on the month of January; it is originally celebrated on the month of April, particularly on the 28^th. They moved this celebration on January because it is the month nearest to the Christmas celebration.

The feast day that the Cebuanos call Sinulog is a word that came from the word “sulog”, which refers to the water current that is moving forward. As what I heard from our parish priest and as what I read in the newspaper, “sulog” is the movement of the water that after crashing into the big rocks will move back or the forward and backward movement of the water.

This feast became a yearly devotion of the Cebuanos and many other citizens all around the globe, in honor for the Patron saint of Cebu who is Señor Santo Niño. Señor Santo Niño was the image introduced by the Spaniards during the time when they first landed here in our island.

Every year, a lot of people coming from different places and races come here to Cebu to celebrate and dance to the Sinulog beat. Even though the streets are very hot, but this is not a hindrance for the devotees, balikbayans, and tourists. They come here to witness the different contingents that joined in the Sinulog Grand Mardigras, may it be under the Free Interpretation category or for the Sinulog Based category.

As what I have seen on the streets, children and adults alike spend the feast with a great enthusiasm. They buy different masks and wear them on their faces, whistles, ready –to-go tattoos, and other stuffs that will really make them enjoy and feel the beat and heat of the festivity. They do not care about standing for hours and lining up on the busy streets for the reason that they are doing this as devotion or a “panaad” to the child patron, Santo Niño. Aside from waiting for the very colorful Sinulog contingents, they are also fascinated by the different stunning and exquisite floats by the different establishments of the city. This sight is on the streets and so as inside the Cebu City Sports Center where the population is very tight and very hot because the viewers are sitting from elbow to elbow.

Aside from street dancing, many also go to the Basilica del Santo Niño to pray and light candles. Most of them are balikbayans and people from the province of Cebu since they are not always here in Cebu.

As the sun started to set, the energy of the contingents never did cease and vanished. They kept on dancing and enjoying the Sinulog beat.

This is how the Cebuanos celebrate the Sinulog 2007. All of these is an offering and a religious fervor in honor for the patron saint of Cebu. All of these is for him, Señor Santo Niño.

Viva Pit Senyor!