Every January in the central Philippines city of Cebu, 1.5 to 3 million people gather for a series of masses, parades, water and land processions, beauty contests, street dances and concerts, fireworks and other events that celebrate the feast of the Santo Niño - the Holy Child - of Cebu. The celebration culminates the third Sunday in January with the Sinulog Grand Parade, an explosion of dancing and color that transforms the streets of downtown. Eighteen dance troupes, accompanied by drums and horns, participated in the 2017 parade.
The name sinulog refers to a ritual dance inspired by and performed before the Santo Niño, reportedly for centuries. Sinulog is two-step-forward, one-step-back dance step that is believed to predate Christianity and to take its name from Cebuano word for the way water laps on the Pahina river.
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This video is part of Catholics & Cultures, an initiative of the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Visit www.catholicsandcultures.org.