Philippines' Mardi Gras

Festival Location: All Areas, Philippines

Festival Type(s): Carnivals, Street Parades, Mardi Gras

Featured Festival: Philippines' Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras - Filippino Style

By: © Eva Goyena 2009

New Orleans is not the only home of Mardi Gras, there are four of them right here in the Philippines, each with their own unique style, culture and origins.

You can have your fill of Mardi Gras sights and sounds in any or all of these four Filippino festivals held in the Southern part of the country: the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan celebrated every January 14 to 16; Iloilo's Dinagyang from January 17 to 23; the Sinulog of Cebu City every January 23; and the Masskara Festival of Bacolod City every October 19.

In an hour or less you can be in any of these destinations by plane and a place to stay should never pose a problem if you're willing to rough it a bit and stay in cheap hotels or hostels. During festival-week, in-the-know tourists who've made reservations early, take over all the first-rate hotels. But if you're a little less daring or not willing to take your chances, the best thing to do is to contact the local tourist office and ask for help finding accommodation.

Thousands of foreign and domestic tourists alike watch the mood in Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu and Bacolod during festival-time change from calm to frenzied.Wild colors, ingenious choreography and powerful drumbeats fill the streets in celebrations that last up to a week.

These festivals (with the exception of the Masskara) pay homage to Santo Niño with parades and dancing. Painted bodies, decorated drums and props, and the peculiar rhythmic step are influenced in varying degrees by different religions from Pagan to Islamic to Christian.

Competition between the different joining groups or tribus (as they are known in Dinagyang) adds to the excitement of the feasts as they are judged based on criteria including the creativity of their costume, their dance, sounds, as well as their overall performance.

One of the most popular features of the parade of Masskara are the colourful smiling masks of a variety of designs from which the festival gets its name (the word "mass" means people and "kara" is the Spanish for faces). Whilst during Ati-Atihan, Dinagyang and Sinulog, soot-painted bodies are elaborately decorated with anything from seashells to local materials.

In terms of crowd participation, Ati-Atihan takes the crown. In a wild parade, dancers with their rehearsed choreography and spectators with their spontaneous steps form a conga-line that disjoins and rejoins from time to time until the whole town becomes part of the giant rhythmic snake.

During Dinagyang drummers and dancers perform for judges at different points along the route.

Whilst Sinulog's dance ritual moves two steps forward and one step back to the rhythm of drumbeats resembling the current ("sulug" for the Cebuanos) of Cebu's Pahina River.

These celebrations of Mardi Gras are considered by some to be purely religious occasions with all their symbolism while others tend to view themas joyful celebrations. No matter what your view they are all worth making the effort to get along to.

If you plan to come to any of these festivals make sure you check out the dates. If you cannot catch the whole celebration, the best time to join in a festival in the Philippines is during thelast couple of days. It is when the competition winners are announced, and the most stunning presentations take place.

by Eva Goyena

Philippines' Mardi Gras Dates and Location

The Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan celebrated every January 14 to 16; Iloilo's Dinagyang from January 17 to 23; the Sinulog of Cebu City every January 23; and the Masskara Festival of Bacolod City every October 19. The towns of Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu and Bacolod are in the Philippines