Festivals in Cebu

Festivals are part and parcel of Filipino culture. They are one of the traditions which originate from the people who occupied not only Cebu but the Philippines, in general. It was inculcated in the minds of the Filipino people that Festivals are part of the Filipino custom. Festivals that the Cebuano people celebrate are the following:

Sinulog

     Cebu’s biggest and most popular festival. The feast is in honor of the Holy Image of Senyor Santo Niño de Cebu. Fiesta Senyor, as it is widely known, is the most celebrated among Cebu’s festivals, where people converge along the routes of a grand solemn procession and partake in the gaiety amidst a madri gras parade immersed in wild colors and the constant beating of drums

Pasko sa Sugbo
Cebu City/province-wide

     An annual Christmas celebration by lighting & decorating the main thoroughfare in Cebu, starting from capitol down to Plaza Independencia. Other activities include nightly cultural shows by the different schools, parol, Christmas tree & daygon competition.

Sanayon

     Agro-tourism festival in the southern towns of the second district about 100 km. from the city. A month-long activity to spread out tourism to the countryside.

Paskuhan
Cebu City/province-wide

    A Christmas celebration of songs and lantern making held during the month of December to spread good cheer to local residents and visitors alike.

Kadaugan sa Mactan
Lapulapu City

    A one-day re-enactment celebrated with pomp and pageantry every 27th of April to commemorate the historic battle of Mactan between the forces of Lapulapu and Ferdinand Magellan.

Pasko sa Kasakit
Bantayan Island

    It is celebrated during Holy Thursday & Good Friday. A religious procession of life-size images of the death and passion of Jesus Christ carried in richly decorated & lighted carrozas.

Tagbo
Poro, Camotes Island, Cebu

     It is celebrated every month of January in honor of the Patron Santo Niño de Poro. Beloved memoir of a living past, Tagbo is the cornerstone from which this great municipality has sprung. Rich in cultural heritage and deep in spiritual values, Tagbo is a very significant event precluding the birth of a town very dear to the hearts of her sons and daughters

Cassava Festival
Camotes Island, Cebu

    Held with the aim of creating awareness among the people on the different uses and economic opportunities offered by cultivating cassava

Carcar Fiesta
Carcal, Cebu

    It is celebrated every November 24-25 in honor of the town's patron, St. Catherine of Alexandria. Carcar town is noted for its old Spanish style houses in the quiet countryside setting. During fiestas, the residents would invite friends, relatives, and town visitors into their homes to taste popular local delicacies. A lively and enjoyable event.

Barangayan

    An annual celebration of Philippine independence held every June 12

Via Crucis
Banawa Hills, Cebu City

     A Lenten activity where devotees do their penitential procession through the Stations of the Cross built on 12 hectares of rolling hills

Dinagat Festival
Cordova, Cebu

     The festival is characterized by street dancing & an interpretative dance competition based on the fishing rituals & culture of the Cordovahanons

Nuestra Señora de Regla Fiesta
Lapulapu City

     Celebrated every November 20-21 in honor the patroness of Opon. This religious and social event reveals the deep religious faith of the people and their penchant for merry making. A food fair, carnival, procession, and a coronation of the Fiesta Queen highlight the festivity

     Festival is one of the most memorable event which was hand on from one generation to the other. Though there are many existing festivals in Cebu the biggest and most elaborate festival of all is Christmas, a season celebrated with all the pomp and pageantry the fun-loving Filipino can manage.

Original essay by Patricia Nicole
October 1, 2004