The seed of Christianity in the Philippines, once again, step outside to stroll the streets in the heart of Cebu as a beacon of light to remind us that there is always a sunrise from the night’s darkness.
It’s been two years already since the 2020 Sinulog Festival celebration, where the world suffered a global crisis afterwards. The pandemic, due to “COVID-19”, ate the freedom of every individual that caused a major lock down starting from the four corners of our home up until the foundation of all establishment. As a consequence of this tragedy, the 2021 and 2022 SINULOG FESTIVAL CELEBRATION was commemorated at the venue of each government establishments and religious institutions privately.
Now, the 2023 Sinulog Festival Celebration is at hand. This marks the first glimpse of Sr. Sto. Niño’s Annual Celebration from its two years of deep slumber. The Religious institution is already prepared. The government establishments are now ready. The Sr. Sto. Niño’s devotee are very excited. The heaven must have heard the cries of His people to end the two years agony of loneliness and fear. Thus, the world is celebrating to smell the scent of freedom and joy once again.
Sinulog Festival Celebration is a combination of religious rites and state activities. These religious rites are organized as the Novena, the Terrestrial and Fluvial Procession, the Holy Mass, and end with the Hubo rites (The undressing of the Santo Niño as a mark of end of the activity). On the other hand, these state activities are classified also as the Fluvial and Sinulog Grand Parade, the Street Parties, the Fireworks Display, and the Grand Sinulog Festival.
There are each highlights of this Sinulog Festival Celebration regarding the Church and the State. First is the Pontifical Mass on the Feast Day, celebrated by the Arch Bishop of Cebu, which signifies the peak of the devotee’s faith of the Child Jesus, natively called as “Senyor Santo Niño”. Second is the Grand Sinulog Festival that includes the grand parade, where the competition of ethnic dance of Sinulog happened, and street parties, where people will get acquainted with every stranger smearing face paintings.
PIT SENYOR is the famous line in this celebration. It is a shortened term for the Cebuano language “Sangpit Sa Senyor Santo Niño” which literally means as “Plead to the Holy Child King”. However, the term “VIVA PIT SENYOR” is now commonly used as an honor to the Holy Child expressing “LONG LIVE TO THE KING”.
As we commemorate this New Year’s hope of being back to normal situation, this SINULOG FESTIVAL CELEBRATION, which is the one of the Philippines’ largest and grandest celebration, may be our stepping stone in expressing our deepest faith to the Almighty God. A deepest faith that led us to the situation that we conquer the fear of being lonely, being imprisoned, being chained, and being limited in our daily activities as we suffer the two year pandemic crisis. This will mark our strength and resiliency that despite the challenges, we believe that there is this loving God, which manifest to us in a childlike form, to understand us better as His children. VIVA PIT SENYOR!
