The Philippine Online Chronicles

The devotion to the Sto. Niño is an enduring and unique expression of Catholic faith. Many Filipino Catholics have a strong connection to the image of the Holy Child Jesus which began more than 400 years ago. The devotion to the Holy Child is evident by the popularity of the Sto. Niño image in various parts of the Philippines, particularly in Luzon and Visayas.

Many Filipino Catholic families have Sto. Niño images inside their houses. In our home, we have five different Sto. Niño figures in different areas of the house.

When you go out, you are bound to encounter a number of Sto. Niño images on any typical day.   When you ride the jeep or bus, there’s always a chance to see a figure of the Holy Child on the dashboard.  Even private vehicles have them too. Many tricycles and sidecars also carry small Sto. Niño images inside their passenger cars.  If you take time to observe, you’ll notice that many sari-sari stores, restaurants and other establishments display Sto. Niño images.

Even Filipinos abroad manifest their adoration to the Sto. Niño in their own ways. My parents who live in New York, have several images of the Holy Child inside their home. They also attend the annual Commemorative Eucharistic Celebration of the Feast of Sto. Niño de Cebu in the Parish of St. Sebastian in Woodside Avenue, New York.

Roots of Sto. Niño devotion

The devotion of Filipinos to the Sto. Niño can be traced back to the time when Ferdinand Magellan and his team first arrived on Philippine shores in 1521. The Spaniards gifted Hara Amihan, the queen and wife of Rajah Humabon of the island of Sugbu, a wooden statue of the Holy Child during their baptismal rites.

In 1565, Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi set foot on the same island. When a fire purposely orchestrated by the Spaniards blazed across the village, a sailor by the name of Juan Camus found the image of the Holy Child, miraculously unscathed by fire in one of the village huts.

From then on, the devotion to the Holy Child spread to different islands across the country.  The wooden image of the Child Jesus is now known as Sto. Niño de Cebu. The original image is enshrined in the Basilica Minore de Sto. Niño in Cebu City.

The Sto. Niño is considered the oldest religious image in the country and the patron saint of the province of Cebu. Today, the reverence for the Divine Child is fueled by the strong faith of Filipino Catholics.

Different feasts in honor of the Sto. Niño

In the Philippines, the month of January is designated as the “month of the Child Jesus.” Several grand feasts take place in different parts of the country in honor of the Sto. Niño. The nationwide celebrations traditionally feature nine-day novena/masses, grand processions of Sto. Niño images, and revelry of street dancing.

Sinulog Festival in Cebu

The annual Sinulog festival held in Cebu is one of the most grandiose and colorful festivals in the country.  It is traditionally held every 3^rd Sunday of January in Cebu City.

The Sinulog is a nine-day celebration in honor of the Sto. Niño, the patron saint of the province.  Some of the important highlights of the festival include the Saturday religious procession and the Sunday street parade.

Every year, a huge gathering of Sto. Niño devotees carrying candles and rosaries, participate in the traditional procession that starts and ends at the Basilica.  During the procession, the rosary is recited in different languages.

A high mass is celebrated after the procession followed by the dance ritual called the Sinulog dance.  A flock of candle bearing individuals dance together to honor the Child Jesus.  They believe that their prayers will be answered through dancing.

The street parade is accented by pageantry as participants dressed in beautiful and colorful costumes dance to the symphony of drums, trumpets and native gongs.

Ati-Atihan Festival in Aklan

The Ati-Atihan festival is another Filipino feast in honor of the Sto. Niño. It is held during the month of January, every 2^nd Sunday after the Epiphany in the town of Kalibo in the province of Aklan in Panay island.  It’s a wild and festive gathering where celebrants paint their faces with black soot and put on bright, eccentric costumes as they move their bodies to the rhythmic beats of the drum.  They dance without inhibition and shout chants like "Puera pasma! Hala Bira! Viva Santo Nino!” during the last three days of the week-long festival.  The festivities end with a procession of parishioners bearing lighted torches and different images of the Sto. Niño.

This year’s Ati-Atihan Festival takes place on January 9-15, 2012 in Kalibo, Aklan.

Sto. Niño de Tondo Festival in Manila

Tondo festivities in honor of the Sto. Niño marks its beginning with the opening of the “Lakbayaw” Festival, the time dedicated for the image of the Holy Child to visit various baranggays in Tondo. The “Lakbayaw” Festival is highlighted by spirited dance numbers. Participants dance together with their images of the Sto. Niño.

The Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish attracts thousands of churchgoers during the Feast of the Sto. Niño on the 3^rd Sunday of January.  Sto. Niño devotees attend the hourly masses that run for 26 hours beginning at 10:00 p.m. Saturday until 11 p.m. Sunday. A grand procession of the Sto. Niño around selected routes in Manila takes place during the feast day. Devotees carry with them their blessed images of the Holy Child.

Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo

Dinagyang is an annual thanksgiving celebration that takes place in Iloilo in honor of the Sto. Niño.  The most significant activity of the festival is the fluvial procession along Iloilo River held during the Friday of the Dinagyang week.  People carry different images of the Holy Child and ride in motorized bancas from the mouth of the river until the pier. From there, the people continue the procession on foot and then back to the church.  The Dinagyang festival also includes dynamic choreographed dances showcasing Iloilo’s heritage and culture.

This year’s Dinagyang Festival will be held on January 20-22, 2012 in the main streets of Iloilo City.

Other festivals

Similar celebrations in honor of the Sto.Nino are also held in Malolos, Bulacan; Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Binalonan, Pangasinan; and other provinces.

Photos: “Sinulog Festival - Fluvial Procession (3298505319).jpg” c/o Wikimedia Commons, Public domain; “Sinulog Festival - Procession (3299334480).jpg” c/o Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

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Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University.  She took up MBA at the same university.  Rachel is a full-time mom to a charming young boy and married to an entrepreneur with a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.