Ati-Atihan Festival: Of History and Faith

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:24:27 +0000

Honoring the infant Jesus or Santo Nino, Ati-atihan festival dancers grace the streets with their outlandish paints on their faces, eccentric costumes and body rhythms and cheerful smiles. Celebrated on the bountiful province of Aklan on the island of Panay, the festival stands not to unwoven every tourist’s and spectator’s expectations of a week-long festivity with its parades, merrymaking, processions and of course the reason which every visitor has, street dancing. This event is history. Ati-atihan, meaning “make believe Atis” is not just any event of dancing and drumming, it is an event commemorating both history and faith.

The Atis are black kinky-haired people who lived in the mountains. There came a time where their harvest didn’t do well, and so they looked for food and found the lowlands. They asked for help and the lowlanders gratefully gave them food. With thanksgiving to the lowlanders’ kindness, they danced and sang. Every year then, the Atis come down and solicit for food and in return sing songs and dance with the beat. These lowlanders were originally settlers from Borneo who have chose to stay in the Philippines. They bought land that the Atis own. The Datus, in exchange of land gave the Atis a golden salakot, brass basins and bales of cloth. As time goes by, the Spaniards came and Christianized the people including those Atis who were formerly pagan people. With this, Ati-atihan festival came into being. Compressed with the nurturing fill of history and glossed with the unwavering faith of the people of Aklan to Santo Nino.

Latter, the festival had its own versions on the nearing towns and islands because of its fame and significance such as the Dinagyang festival of Ilo-Ilo, Halaran festival of Capiz, Biniyaran festival of Antique, MassKara festival of Bacolod and the Biniray festival of Romblon, Romblon.

Viva Pit Senior! Sinulog Festival!

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:32:32 +0000

Held every 3rd Sunday of January, Sinulog Festival is crowned as one of the best distinguished, grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines. It is celebrated annually in the city of Cebu as part of their religious transformation from being pagans to being Christians. Like other patronal fiestas, Cebuanos celebrate the nine-day festivity with a Fluvial Parade a day before the Sinulog Grand Parade, which is the last event. People dance with the rhythm of the music sang by drums, trumpets and native gongs. It’s believed that the dance steps of Sinulog originated from the Rajah Humabon’s adviser, Baladhay. Baladhay was sick and so, Rajah Humabon sent him to the room where the Santo Nino was in together with other gods that Cebuanos praise. After few days, Baladhay began shouting because he was tried to wake up tickled by a child with a midrib of a coconut. Then, the child made fun of him, in turn, Baladhay danced with the little child and announced to the people that it is actually the dance of the river, thus giving the steps of Sinulog Festival: two steps forward, one step backward.

Basically, the festival is about the commemoration of the Cebuanos to their origin as being pagans and their acceptance of Christianity. The celebration is also done by the youth where they named it as “Sinulog sa Kabataan” which is done a week before the parade. After the astonishing outburst of positive comments about Sinulog Festival, the second city of the Philippines, Cebu City, promoted it as tourist attraction. Aside from being a genuine tourist attraction, it also became a competitive avenue for street dancers outside Cebu as Sinulog was opened for any contingents willing to join the street dancing competition; thus making it more exciting, thrilling and inviting to the senses.

TravelPH » Festivals

Ati-Atihan Festival: Of History and Faith

Viva Pit Senior! Sinulog Festival!