Sinulog: Religiosity or merriment

The Sinulog celebration, which some have been preparing for the previous months as there was no significant event these last few years, will soon be taking place before our very eyes, both locally and internationally.

Another good opportunity to ponder the celebration's relevance and significance has been resurrected. Depending on how one views it, one may see it via a business lens, where it presents a chance for companies to advertise their goods and services, and boost sales. This is anticipated because hotel room occupancy would double or possibly triple. Resorts in well-promoted local attractions are crowded with tourists.

Another way to look at Sinulog is via a religious lens, when one keeps such a commitment or annual plan as a manner of offering thanks for a favor received. And as we can see by the current generations practicing what their predecessors have done for so long, this religion can occasionally be passed down from generation to generation.

However, one may also make the claim that Sinulog has significantly changed over time from being a straightforward religious ceremony to one that attracts a significant amount of interest and commerce.

What began as a religious observance to honor the Sto. Niño has grown to be one of the biggest events in the nation, attracting millions of visitors from around the globe. This well-liked celebration of the nation's rich history and vibrant culture includes brilliant parades, upbeat musical and dance performances, and lots of mouthwatering food.

Tourists would never want to miss the chance to watch the festival as it grows in popularity each year, and it gets more and more commercialized. The event now includes activities like art displays, beauty pageants, photo contests, and singing and dancing competitions in addition to costumes and dance performances. The festival's events, including concerts, cultural performances, fireworks displays, fun runs, and street fairs, are open to participants as well. Its effect is so great that every year for the past 20 years, Filipinos living in New Zealand have celebrated their own version of the festival.

Along with the stunning beaches and historical sites, Cebu's great festival continues to be its most proud attraction due to the overwhelming number of visitors who want to see the traditional celebration and the beauty of the culture it represents.

This year, there won't be many restrictions, so we can anticipate a spectacular celebration. The answer to relevance and significance, which is also the forerunner of what we are witnessing now, lies beneath and beyond the celebration. The fact that the current generation will accept the motivation behind all the hype that they experience and many aspire for is always a delight to see. We always return to our core and essence of why we exist, no matter what we do, where we go, or where our hopes and desires may take us.

It requires a great deal of faith to withstand the world's allure because of the contradictions that human beings must comprehend. The more doubt we must face, the more hope we must hold onto, the more likely it is that we will despair, and the more love we have, the more suffering its loss will bring. If we decide not to hold them in order to live without uncertainty, hopelessness, and suffering, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love. After all, it is our faith in the Little Child that guides us in determining whether the objectives of our deeds are to maintain our inner tranquility or to satisfy others.