asianTraveler Magazine

What better way to start the year than with a celebration that’s full of vigor? The devotees are dancing in the streets and chanting ‘Viva Santo Nino!” True enough, Filipino Catholicism and faith in the Holy child is at an all-time high.

The colors of January come alive as Catholic devotees honor the Santo Nino through a series of events, one of which is the Sinulog Festival, held ever third week of January. Various regions in the Philippines take part of the momentous event, as each host province dresses up its Holy child in relation to the orientation and culture of the province. The child image of Jesus is then prepared for the celebration through a procession of local dance, which is said to have been derived from rhythm of a flowing river.

Sto. Nino Faith Through the Centuries

It is believed that even before the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set foot on the island of Cebu in 1521, a dance to honor the anitos or wooden idols was already in existence. However, the infusion of Christianity with pagan rituals of our ancestors started when Magellan gave the image of Sto. Nino to the royal chieftains of Cebu as a gift. The image was placed side-by-side with the native idols at that time. This is an indication that locals showed respect to the holy Image trough dance and ritual, which was originally devoted to their anitos. Such conversation is said to have slowly turned the once “pagan city” into a place where Catholicism originated.

Manila’s Holy child

It was a few hours after the noon high mass when Roxas Boulevard was closed to traffic to give way to the grand procession of the Holy Child which various groups and districts in Manila and its environs took part of Sunday families stranded in the middle of the road wew unaware that the parade of the holy image was going to take almost half the day before reaching the Luneta grounds/ there was a sigh of disbelief from these non-Manilenos who weren’t aware that there was going to be an event. “This should be expected,” a loyal devotee said. “It’s the third week of January. They should just join us in dancing on the streets for the beloved Sto. Nino instead.”

When the procession began to transverse Manila’s major thoroughfare, a throng of devotees from the inner streets appeared and occupied the sidewalks to get the perfect vantage point. Other devotees had no choice but to occupy the middle of the road. Women and children sat on the gutters while the men patiently stood and watched different floats, which represented different towns and cities. There were men and women almost tripping while holding the image of the Holy child with one hand wile the other hand was moving gracefully to traditional music.

Groups of women in white camisa and red saya dance to the rhythm of the brass band, holding miniature images of the Sto. Nino. The Holy Image is dressed in different styles: from a little prince clothed in ornamented golden vest to little policeman complete with the uniform cap. The Sto. Nino now holds a cult following, extending to various sectors of the society. From a mere patron of children whom mothers pray to whenever their children get sick, the Sto. Nino has become a patron of different towns, districts and cities, all with their respective interpretation and belief in the Sto. Nino.

Such strong belief is already expected but still a pleasant surprise nonetheless. We, Filipinos, love celebrations. Our Catholic faith continues to be strengthened, and the much beloved Sto Nino remains as one of the most important images that hold the Filipinos’ faith through the centuries. Our strong faith is represented through festivities and delightful traditions.

The Sto. Nino remains as the main attraction, as the dancing of the sea crowds in Manila’s major boulevard goes on. A Sto. Nino devotee in the parade invited the spectators to dance with her, to dance with the Holy child. “Viva Santo Nino!” she chanted and everybody followed suit. As the orange ball of light drowns in the sea of hope, everyone danced, even the cigarette vendor who decided to give out her candies to the children in the parade. As the child ate the candy, he looked at the eyes of the Holy Child on the float. The Image of Sto. Nino looked calm and pleasant, just like any other young boy on the street.