Moving closer to the city central with my (new) husband, I have gotten to really witness how the sentimental holidays have slowly morphed into the spirit of Sinulog. It’s that time of year again where the streets in the heart of Cebu are donned in colorful streamers, a familiar melody starts playing in public spaces, and suddenly it seems like the population of out-of-towners has grown overnight.
The Sinulog magic is working its way into the air making everything feel so…festive. Imagining that only a few days from now the parade will be in full swing — with dancers pirouetting their way through the streets and people shouting that familiar phrase of “Pit Senyor!” every five seconds — brings such a thrill. couple keychain
Paint, whistles, feathers — if Sinulog had a uniform, these would be in the list. Yet, nothing screams “Sinulog” louder than the iconic Sinulog shirt. To fully succumb to the experience you have to grab a Sinulog shirt, cut it up and wear it on the day.
And, in my opinion, no place does the cutting and styling like the annual Island Souvenirs Sinulog “Cut & Style” pop up. Island Souvenirs, which is usually at the frontline of spreading the festival frenzy, launched their newest personalization concept: “My Islands,” which pushes the boundaries of personalization even further by having more than just shirts in their personalization roster.
The big canvas bags they had last year made a comeback this year with additional pouches and keychains — all customizable with letters and cute little press-on patches. Of course the staple is the Sinulog shirt that one can have cut and styled with beads — but now they even offer to style Sinulog shirts for pets. (Maybe I can have a little something made for my fur-baby, Kovu.)
Talk about spreading the Sinulog spirit! Amidst the festivities, it is also nice to remember the essence of what Sinulog is — a religious celebration of the Child Jesus. That being said, another must-do experience I highly recommend is at least one mass at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu. That is where you can really feel in an unspoken sense the spirit of Sinulog—the people’s devotion to Señor Sto. Niño.
pvc key holder Enjoy the festival of festivals, Cebu. Long live Mr. Sto. Child! Long live Pit Senyor!