Ati-Atihan Festival

Ati-atihan is a festival held every 3rd Sunday of January. The event is held in honor of the Infant Jesus more commonly called as the Santo Ni?o. Ati-Atihan is the most popular festival in the Philippines, famous for three days of constant parades and street dancing at all hours of the day or night. Celebrants of all ages paint their faces with black soot and wear bright, outlandish costumes and just dance, dance, dance!

Ati-atihan is considered to be the 'mother' of all Philippine festivals - similar to Mardi Gras and Carnivale - with floats and costumes, drumming, dancing in the streets, drinking, and more dancing. It is supposed to celebrate the coming together of the Ati (which were the natives of the islands that soon comprised the Philippines) and the immigrant Borneans back in the 13th century.