Ati-Atihan Festival
Ati-Atihan is the country’s most spectacular festival for lovers of mardi gras. The event’s history can be traced back to the early Borneo settlers.
Mardi gras typically refers to the series of feasts that kick off after the Epiphany, and whose culmination is marked one day prior to the celebration of Ash Wednesday. The festival is marked by feasting and indulging in delicacies and rich foods.
Ati-Atihan Festival, Costume and Event Information
The Filipino version of this event is marked yearly in January as a way to honor Santo Nino. The latter is to the locals, a representation of the baby Jesus. Some of the events that mark Kalibo Ati-Atihan include traditional dances, vibrant music as well as an array of colorful costumes. Occasionally, traditional weapons are included as part of the festivities.
The most intriguing bit of this festival is that it attracts both devout locals and non-religious folks, making it an open invitation for visitors who would like to immerse themselves in Philippine culture. The promoters of the festival capture its essence in a surreal manner, stating that the event is an eclectic mix of Catholic practice, cultural performances, and a prominent tourist attraction.
There’s a reason why Ati-Atihan is known as the Mother of All Philippine Festivals – it is more than 800 years old, and it draws roots from a pagan ritual. What was once a way for the indigenous tribes to worship their anito god is today one of the largest Christian festivals in the country. Obviously, the Christian note was added to the festival only later, once Spanish missionaries had come to the island.
The name of the festival literally translates to ‘to be like Atis’, which is a reference to the Aeta aborigines who were the first settlers on the island of Panay. It is a way for the locals to honor and celebrate their roots.
And this is obvious from some of the events that are part of the festival. Perhaps the biggest and most important of those is the tribal dance, performed by locals wearing indigenous regalia. The costumes are actually similar to those seen at the Rio Carnival, mostly due to the African tribal design.