The Ati-atihan Festival, Philippines is held every January in the town of Kalibo in the province of Aklan on the island of Panay. The Ati-atihan Festival is the wildest among all the events and festivals in Philippines. During the Ati-atihan Festival, Philippines, the participants paint their faces with black soot and wear bright and outlandish costumes. They dance in great joy during the last three days of this week-long Ati-atihan Festival.
The Ati-atihan Festival in Philippines is a feast in honor of the Santo Nino or the holy child, Jesus. The Santo Nino has long been the favorite of Filipinos and devotion to it has been intense ever since an image was first presented to Juana, Queen of Cebu, in 1521. The Ati-atihan Festival, Philippines is celebrated on the second Sunday after Epiphany. On this day, the catholics of Philippines observe the processions and parades and immerse themselves in dancing and merrymaking. The dancing on the rhythms of the drums makes this festival comparable with the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Ati-atihan Festival, Philippines has got historic origins. In the thirteenth century, long before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, some light-skinned immigrants arrived on Panay from the island of Borneo in Indonesia. The natives of Panay, the Ati or the negritos, sold these immigrants a small piece of land and allowed them to settle down in the lowlands. It happened once that due to a bad harvest, the Atis were in need of food and in search of that, they came down to the lowlands of the Maraynon and asked for food from the immigrants. Ever since that time, whenever the Atis came for food, they danced and sang in gratitude for the helping hand. A real friendship was born out of it and the Maraynon started to paint their faces black in honor of the Atis. This culminated in the Ati-atihan Festival, Philippines.
During the Ati-atihan Festival, Philippines, the street dancers enter the Kalibo church every time they pass by. While they pass, they keep on repeating the slogan "Viva kay Santo Nino". The Ati-atihan Festival is one of the finest festivals in Philippines. It is celebrated by all.
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