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Ati-Atihan Festival, Philippines

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Lantern Festival, China

 

What is the Ati-Atihan Festival?

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The Ati-Atihan Festival is an annual festival held in the Philippines during the month of January in honor of the Santo Niño or Child Jesus. The event takes place in several cities in the province of Aklan, on Panay Island. It is one of the biggest celebrations in the country and takes place from early January until the third Sunday of that month in the city of Kalibo, capital of the province.

The festival consists of religious processions and parades in the streets of the province, showcasing themed floats,dance troupes in colorful costumes and music bands. In addition, you can also find people who paint their faces black with different patterns. The street parade is one of the most anticipated and is known by the locals as “Sadsad”, which refers to the particular way of dancing by placing the foot on the ground and shuffling quickly in sync with the rhythm played by the marching bands.

 

 

Despite being aChristian tradition, both practicing and non-practicing people join the celebration during the holiday season. In addition, this interesting event attracts tourists from different parts of the country, the region and the world.

 

The Ati-Atihan festival is a colorful celebration that pays homage to baby Jesus

The Ati-Atihan festival is a colorful celebration that pays homage to baby Jesus

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When is the Ati-Atihan Festival[/h2>?

The Ati-Atihan Festival takes placefrom January 10 to 19.

 

 

History of Ati-Atihan Festivals

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The Ati-Atihan Festival is an originallypagan festival that was held in the region. However, with the arrival of the Spaniards to the island it gradually added a Christian meaning, incorporating the image of Child Jesus..

One of the legends that tells the story of this festivity relates that its beginnings date back to the 13th century. However, the story is somewhat cumbersome, as it is thought that there is no such evidence that these events actually occurred. In addition, there are also no concrete records about the beginning of the celebration.



It is said that a group of 10 Malay chieftains called Datus fled from theisland of Borneo to settle in Philippines. These chieftains were welcomed by the Ati people, island tribePanay. Datu Puti, one of the 10 chieftains Datus, made an exchange with the natives and bought the plains for a golden salakot, a gold necklace and colored cloth. Some time later and as a result of a bad harvest, the Ati people began to struggle with famine. Thus, the Ati were forced to descend from their village to seek the generosity of the Datus chieftains. The Datus gave them food and in return, the Ati danced and sang, grateful for the gifts they had been given.

 

Where is the Ati-Atihan Festival?

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The celebrations are held in different villages in theprovince of Aklan, Panay Island, Philippines.

 

Participants carry baby Jesus figures during the Ati-Atihan festival parades

Participants carry baby Jesus figures during the Ati-Atihan festival parades

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How the Ati-Atihan Festival is celebrated

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One of the things that are maintained each of the days of the celebrations is the dancing, food fairs and crafts fairs. The celebrations are spread over a period of three days and three nights in which people dance, celebrate and drink. The streets are filled with constant music in which some 80 cultural groups participate, each competing for the prize awarded to the group with the best performance and performance.

If you want to know more about tourism in this country, I recommend this guide:

 

Colorful costumes fill the streets and some participantspaint their bodies with soot to resemble the ancient settlers and members of theAtis tribe. Floats are also part of the festivities, and go from place to place accompanying people and religious images.

Although many groups wear traditional garments, any costume is welcome, there are no specific rules as to what you should wear. The different spectators, tourists or locals, join the shows and parades to be part of one of the most colorful celebrations in the country.

 

Tips for going to the Ati-Atihan Festivals

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Ati-Atihan carnivals are celebrations that usually give a warm welcome to visitors from other regions or even foreigners, so you should not feel embarrassed or afraid to be part of the festivities.

If you are short on creativity or don’t have the space to wear a costume, the locals offer several alternatives of traditional costumes that you can purchase. Also, you can paint your face for a more festive look in tune with the festivities.

 

Events at Ati-Atihan Festival

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The first days of the celebration arelive concerts, competitions and other cultural events that occur simultaneously. The last 3 days of the festivities are the most emotional, when the most symbolic and important events take place.

Friday is the day where the religious events of the festival are emphasized. The sacred mass and a procession, accompanied by drums and cultural groups, take place. The following day, the procession with rosaries takes place and ends with a mass. The community gathers again in the streets to perform parades and dances..

The last day is the most anticipated, as this is the day that the groups compete against each other to win the grand prize for the group with the best performance. In addition, a procession is held in which people carry figures of the Child Jesus. At the end of the afternoon, a procession with torches is held, marking the end of the festivities.

 

Ati-Atihan festivals parades are filled with colorful traditional costumes and dances

Ati-Atihan festivals parades are filled with colorful traditional costumes and dances

 

Ati-Atihan Festival Parades

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Parades occur every day in the locality, but the last three days of the celebration become much more energetic. People attend the streets to dance to the rhythm of street bands and drums. Traditional and multicolored costumes can be seen, as well as people with soot-painted bodies.

The floats make their way through the crowd, turning the streets into a true fiesta where religion, traditions and festivities combine..

 

 

The main procession is that of the last day, when they carry the images of the Child Jesus to the Cathedral of the city to give their last prayers of the festival.

 

Parade route

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The procession takes place on the main streets of the city to the church to commemorate the Baby Jesus

The procession takes place on the main streets of the city to the church to commemorate the Baby Jesus

 

The parades take place in the different streets of the city, one of the points to consider is the Pastrana Park.

 

Linapay are plates of taro leaves stuffed with shrimp

Linapay are plates of taro leaves stuffed with shrimp

 

What to eat at the Ati-Atihan Festival

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One of the dishes that is never lacking in the region, especially during the festivities is the Linapay, a freshwater shrimp puree wrapped in taro leaves. There is also the Inubarang Manok, a chicken dish cooked in coconut milk and green onions.

Some of the local eateries in the area include SAYLO Cuisine, Latte Coffee Cafe and Ramboy’s..

 

Inubarang Manok is a chicken dish with coconut milk and green onions

Inubarang Manok is a chicken dish with coconut milk and green onions

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Travel Insurance

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From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurance. Read more information about all insurance offers here:

 

 

What to see and do inside the Ati-Atihan Festival

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Within the carnivals you can participate and dance in the different parades and processions that take place during the events. In addition, you can attend the craft and art shops that are arranged in the town. Finally, you can take part in the main and religious activities.

Residents are warm to visitors, so you have nothing to worry about when entering the town.

If you don’t want to complicate things, here you can book interesting excursions in Spanish in this city:.

Guided tours in Spanish around the world

 

What to see and do outside the Ati-Atihan Festivals

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Some of the local attractions are:

St. John the Baptist Cathedral

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It is one of the most important religious temples of the locality. This is where the masses of the Ati-Atihan festival are held.

 

It Akean Museum

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It is a small museum located in the main square of Kalibo. The building exhibits part of the history and culture of the city and the province in general. Different works of local artists are also present.

 

Bakhawan Eco-park and Research Centre

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It is a park of 220 hectares. It is part of the mangrove reforestation project that started in the year 1990, and is currently considered one of the most successful reforestation projects in the Philippines.

Also if you want to visit museums and important buildings in this city we recommend that you book your entrance ticket in advance through Tiquets: .

Book tickets in the city you are visiting

 

Safety at the Ati-Atihan Festivals

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Kalibo is a relatively safe city with some cases of pickpocketing. If you wish to spend your carnivals here, be sure to keep your belongings in a safe place and keep an eye on your surroundings. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your belongings safe:

 

 

Climate at the Ati-Atihan Festival

 

During the carnival festivities the weather is somewhat hot. The temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius.

 

Ati-Atihan festival parades features colorful costumes, dark paint and dance

Ati-Atihan festival parades features colorful costumes, dark paint and dance

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How to get to the Ati-Atihan Festivals

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How to get there by plane

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The city of Kalibo has its own airport called Kalibo International Airport and makes connections to several countries in Asia.

We recommend buying airline tickets through Kiwi.com or Skyscanner where they are usually cheaper. More information on this link to review Kiwi.com..

 

How to get there by car

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From Kalibo International Airport take highway 504. The drive is 3 minutes.

 

Where to stay at the Ati-Atihan Festival

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Booking.com

 

Ati-Atihan Festival Hotel

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An inn 600 meters from the city center. Rooms have television and air conditioning. The hotel offers wifi and private parking.

 

ETT HomeTel

Located 950 meters from the city center. All rooms have cable TV and private bathroom with shower, hairdryer and toiletries.

 

Royal Suites Condotel

Located 400 meters from the city center. Each room has air conditioning and bathroom with shower and toiletries.

We recommend using Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.



 

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