The Filipinos' value of religiosity is once again manifested through the Sinulog festival

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With just a week left before the 2023 Sinulog festival celebration, the Sinulog fever is on. Sinulog or Saulog in the Cebuano dialect is an annual religious festival in honor of the Miraculous Child, Senior Sto. Nino. It's considered the country's mother of all festivals because of its grandeur and importance to Filipino Catholics. 

This religious-cultural event is celebrated every third Sunday of January that draws millions of revelers and devotees from different countries around the world. 

Walk with Jesus 

On January 5th and as the event's opening salvo, around 300 thousand devotees of the Miraculous Child attended the ' Walk with Jesus, ' a dawn foot procession that marks the start of the Sinulog religious events. 

The foot procession started at the Fuente Osmena Circle and ended at the Basilica Minore Del Sto. Nino church where the image of the Holy Child is housed. 

This more than a kilometer stretch was filled with thousands of candle-bearing devotees, braving the dawn breeze and sleepiness just to be able to attend this religious event. 

The Walk with Jesus also marks the start of the 9-day church masses leading up to the feast day on the 15th of January.

The 9-day Novena masses are held inside the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino church. Masses are held every hour in Cebuano and English. 

It's believed that if one could complete the 9-day masses, whatever he/she wishes would be granted by the Holy Child Senior Sto. Nino. 

Sinulog sa Kabataan (children's Sinulog) 

Exactly a week before the Sinulog Grand Parade and Ritual Dance Showdown by different dancing contingents, there will be Sinulog sa Kabataan represented by learners from different schools in Cebu and the province. 

These children started Sinulog dance practice several months before the event. 

Fluvial Parade 

A day before the Sinulog festival celebration, a fluvial parade will be participated by different kinds of sea crafts from motorized pump boats to small and big ships. 

This early morning fluvial parade is one of the most anticipated Sinulog events where hundreds of thousands of chanting and crying devotees and well-wishers line up along the fluvial parade route bringing with them their Sto. images. 

Finally, after two years of absence due to COVID-19 restrictions, physical celebrations of the Sinulog are back.

If the weather is fine, the Sinulog Grand Parade will be held at the South Road Properties (SRP). It would be the first time in almost forty years that this Sinulog would be held in a different venue.

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