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Most festivals in Philippines are religious in origin, but nowadays the religious component is usually secondary to the general spirit of celebration.
Philippines has dozens of festivals and most towns have their own in addition to the national ones. Filipino hospitality is legendary and at no time is it more in evidence than at festival time.
Here’s a list of the ones you should keep a look out for when planning your vacation in Philippines, we will try to cover each festival more extensively in individual articles. The Read more link will direct you there!
Quiapo – Procession of the Black Nazarene
Date: 9th January
The procession, and the accompanying Feast of the Black Nazarene, takes place every year on 9th January. It is usually the single largest festival of the year in the Philippines and thousands of devotees come to the district of Quiapo to take part in the procession to commemorates the transfer of the Black Nazarene image (“traslacion”) from Intramuros to Quiapo Church.
Ati-Atihan
Date: 3rd Sunday of January
The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held in honor of the Santo Niño held annually in January concluding on third Sunday, in the town of Kalibo, Aklan in the Philippines. It is the wildest among Philippine fiestas and considered as the Mother of All Philippine festivals. Celebrants paint their faces with black soot and wear bright, outlandish costumes as they dance in revelry during the last three days of this two week-long festival. Catholics and non-Catholics alike observe this special day with processions, parades, dancing, and merrymaking.
Sinulog
Date: 3rd Sunday of January
The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival honors the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño (Holy Child), patron of the city of Cebu. It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Cebuano people’s pagan origin, and their