As I am writing under a cold and cuddly weather, I am savoring the last few hours of the holiday break. By this week, we are all expected to report to our respective offices and leave the memories of the good days when we did not have to think about work. These memories are filled with new scenarios of being with the family, reunion with friends, and simply time off from the strenuous daily grind. It is also this week when we anticipate a shift in the mood, from Jose Mari Chan to the Sinulog beat real quick.
Every Cebuano knows that by the time the new year comes, we are bound to join in the Sinulog Festival fever. This is the annual celebration of Cebu in honor of the feast of the Santo Niño de Cebu. It is the undying energy that every Cebuano knows of, the extended festivity all in the name of faith, culture, and even tourism. Our government officials say time and time again that it is one of the crowd drawers in the country. It cannot compare to other festivals as I would like to say that Cebu is incomparable.
The change is almost immediate. Christmas lights are almost not taken down and the streets begin to fill. This time it is drums, rehearsals, and banners announcing schedules of novenas and processions. You hear the familiar beat echoing from a distance, reminding everyone that January in Cebu is never quiet. There is little time to miss the holidays because another season of celebration demands our attention.
Last weekend, the pilgrim image made its rounds of the jails and hospitals, ensuring that individuals in these places are not left behind. The basilica tells them that they are never excluded, as the image continues to bring hope and joy in the most testing times. It is moments like these that ground the celebration, reminding us that Sinulog is not only about the grand parade or crowded streets but about faith reaching places where joy is often scarce.
For many, this shift in mood also signals a return to routine, but with a lighter heart. Work resumes, deadlines pile up, and emails wait unanswered, yet there is comfort in knowing that the city itself is alive. Even in the middle of traffic or long workdays, there is a sense that something bigger is happening around us. It gives people something to look forward to after office hours, after long commutes, after tiring days.
Perhaps this is what makes January in Cebu unique. It is a month where rest ends but celebration continues, where responsibilities return but faith and culture take center stage. We move forward not abruptly, but rhythmically, guided by drums and devotion. It is just like the Sinulog dance step, like that of a river stream. Just like that, the mood shifts but not necessarily away from joy. Instead, it is a different kind of hope that carries us into the year ahead.