8 Festivals in the Philippines you really should know about
Did you know Filipinos take their festivals very seriously?
So don’t miss these 8 Major Festivals in the Philippines
And the many personal experiences from spectators and participants in the accompanying videos of these important Filipino cultural festivals..
It is very common in the Philippines for the people to celebrate festivals because they love to get together for the fun, activities, and feasts, and what better way to get your message across.
Here’s our list of the 8 biggest and most important festivals in the Philippines that happen every year and you will notice that they are very colourful. Some festivals can last up to a month because they are really big cultural celebrations that have become an attraction for both locals and tourists. There could be a festival on any given day. You just have to know when and where to go.
Festivals in the Philippines 1 – Ati-atihan Festival
The Ati-Atihan festival pays tribute to the Santo Niño and the Aeta (Ati) who are just one of the many native peoples of the Philippines. Like everywhere in the world, the native people of the Philippines have been marginalized but things are slowly changing. The festival is characterized by people with face paint, indigenous weapons, and tribal dances to traditional loud drum beats. This festival is also called ‘The Filipino Mardi Gras‘ and is a festival that should be experienced by everyone – held in Kalibo, Aklan; 3rd week of January
Zoe&Czar
Festivals in the Philippines 2 – Sinulog Festival
This is Cebu’s version of celebrating the Santo Nino and you will notice that people keep on shouting “Pit Senor” which means “Panangpit sa Senor” meaning to plead to Senor Santo Nino in Cebuano. It is one of the most popular festivals that is able to attract both local and foreign audiences.
Sinulog also sets the stage for acts that are performed by other regions and provinces nearby. They dance on the streets, have a pageant, and even do sports. Party-goers from all over the Philippines love the Sinulog festival because it also hosts a very big rave party – held in Cebu; 3rd week of January
Festivals in the Philippines 3 – Dinagyang Festival
When you ask anyone who is from Ilo-Ilo about this festival you will immediately see the pride they have when they tell you all about the Dinagyang Festival. The city of Ilo-Ilo makes one big party on the streets where there are bands, food, drinks, and big boom boxes. The tribes represent different barangays (independent villages or barrios) and there are high school students who perform in dance competitions. This is another festival for the Santo Nino and has won a lot of awards – held in Ilo-Ilo City; 4th week of January
Festivals in the Philippines 4 – Panagbenga Festival
This festival was named after the word Kankanaey, which means “seasons of blooming”. There are quite a number of parades with children who are dressed in colourful costumes, and floral floats. This is a nice festival to go to if you miss the previous ones from other regions that happened in January. The Session Road in Baguio is closed not letting any vehicle pass through for the outdoor cafes, flower carts, and street dancing – held in Baguio City; every February
Festivals in the Philippines 5 – Moriones Festival
‘The Moriones Lenten Rites in Marinduque is simply amazing. The local communities come together for this very personal commitment, and act of penance. I have written about this in the past on my Facebook Page, but in this video, we start by experiencing the first Monday of Lenten Week in the town of Boac. It was our first time to see this Holy Week tradition for locals… Moriones parading up and down the streets, locals wearing traditional dress, and just everyone coming together in faith. Holy Week is also a reunion for many locals from the island of Marinduque. People will come back to be with their families, and experience the Moriones Lenten Rites together. This Filipino Island Province is the Heart of the Philippines…’
BecomingFilipino
Festivals in the Philippines 6 – Pahiyas Festival
Pahiyas is one of the Philippines’ biggest and best harvest festivals, celebrated in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, laborers, and peasants. The festival takes place in the town of Lucban in Quezon and attracts tourists from all over the country – and even people from other parts of the world!
TheTraveLad
Festivals in the Philippines 7 – Pintados Festival
The Pintados Festival is a cultural-religious celebration in Tacloban based on the body-painting traditions of the ancient tattooed “pintados” warriors. In 1986, the Pintados Foundation, Inc. was formed by the people of Tacloban to organize this festival in honor of Sr. Santo Niño.
The Pintados festival of Tacloban City is a Filipino festival with its own unique flavor. This Pintados festival recalls Pre-Spanish history of the native Leytenos from wars, epics and folk religions. The most expected aspect of the Pintados festival are the festive dancers, painted from head to toe with designs that look like armor to resemble the tattooed warriors of old.
Julanders
Festivals in the Philippines 8 – Masskara Festival
This was our first time celebrating the infamous Bacolod City MASSKARA FESTIVAL 2022!! For those of you who are not familiar with this amazing festival the festival first began in the 1980’s after two major tragedies hit Negros. The prices of sugar cane, the primary agricultural crop of the island, hit an all time causing a terrible famine. That same year a inter-island vessel carrying many Negrenses collided with a tanker and sank which resulted in 18 lives lost and over 100 persons missing. In the midst of all these events the festival came to life as a way to bring smiles to the faces of the people, lift spirits, and also celebrate the resilience of the people!!! Over the years it’s grown and grown into what it is today! People from all over the country (and the world) come to celebrate this bright, colorful, energetic, and incredible event!!
Will and Jose Travels
So there you have it, the 8 most important festivals that one must not miss when visiting the Philippines because for sure they will leave an experience you will never ever forget.
Traveling to the Philippines? Here are our top 7 reasons why you should go..
Festivals in the Philippines – by Ysabel Carbello
All Flickr images are licensed under CC BY 2.0
This concludes our Festivals in the Philippines. We hope you find this information useful. If you are looking for a specific piece of information, please do comment below as we may have just forgotten to mention it.
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