Thursday, January 15, 2009

Rain won't stop Sinulog!

Happiness is learning something new each day! Today I just learned about "Sinulog."

According to Wikipedia:
The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival honors the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño (Holy Child), patron of the city of Cebu. It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Cebuano people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Christianity.
The reason that I came across this thing is this news item which entitled "Rain won't stop Sinulog" in Philippine's Cebu Daily News:
The unusual spate of rains in Cebu and the rest of the Visayas may last until the weekend, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Even the Philippine Coast Guard is anticipating rough seas and will require all vessels to have life jackets on board as a safety measure.

Yesterday, the waves off Cebu were five to seven meters high with winds reaching 48 kilometers per hour, according to Pagasa. Seas were “rough to very rough.” Some inter-island vessels suspended their trips.

Pagasa warned fishing boats and small seacraft not to go on sea.

The weather disturbance is forecast over the next three days.

“The heavy rains we are experiencing now are evidence that we are having a wet season that is wetter than usual. It is abnormal but not highly unusual. It happens,” Pagasa weather bureau chief Nathaniel Cruz said.

Cruz said a surge of the northeast monsoon – icy wind blowing in from the northern hemisphere experienced from October to March — was triggering rainshowers and cold temperatures.

But rain or no rain, both the religious activities of the Fiesta Señor and the Sinulog grand parade will go on this Saturday and Sunday.
I think the statement "It is abnormal but not highly unusual, It happens!" can be used as a description of freaque waves also.

Anyway, here's a picture of Sinulog by Philippine Pictures:
and this one from Wikimidea:


It does look like an exciting, happy event. Hope the rain will hold off not to ruin the festivities.

No comments: