Through the Lens
Macao Magazine visual journeys
A showcase of Philippine culture and piety
The vibrant Sinulog Festival, a celebration of the Child Jesus (Santo Niño) by Filipinos, peaks on the third Sunday of January, with this year’s event falling on 21 January. Originating in Cebu City, Sinulog is marked by processions and dance rituals worldwide, including in Macao, where locals maintain ties to their faith and roots.
Post-pandemic, the festival resumed vibrantly in Macao, starting with Mass at Saint Augustine’s Church and culminating in a dance contest at Praça da Amizade with five groups, including Bisdak Macau Association, competing fervently despite their busy schedules. The Orient Premier Tribe triumphed as this year’s champion of the dance competition.
Leading up to the event, the esteemed Santo Niño statue, darkened perhaps by centuries of candle smoke and bestowed by Fernão de Magalhães in 1521, was honoured at Saint Augustine’s. This 16th-century Christian icon, a 12-inch Flemish-style statuette richly dressed and regaled, is now carefully protected behind bulletproof glass within its chapel in the Basilica del Santo Niño, serving as the cherished emblem for the annual Sinulog Festival, a symbol of Filipino culture and devotion.