Philippines' Premier and World Famous Festival!

http://www.ati-atihan.net
The Ati-Atihan Festival, having become a hodge-podge of Catholic ritual, social activity, indigenous drama, and a tourist attraction, now stretches over several days. Days before the festival itself, the people attend novena masses for the Holy Child (Santo Niño) and benefit dances sponsored by civic organizations. The formal opening mass emphasizes the festival’s religious intent. The start of the revelry is signaled by rhythmic, insistent, intoxicating drumbeats, as the streets explode with the tumult of dancing people. The second day begins at dawn with a rosary procession, which ends with a community mass. The merrymaking is then resumed. The highlight of the festival occurs on the last day, when groups representing different tribes compete. Costumes, including the head-dress, are made of abaca fibers, shells, feathers, bamboo, plant leaves, cogon, and sugar cane flowers. The day ends with a procession of parishioners carrying bamboo torches and different images of the Santo Niño. The contest winners are announced at a masquerade ball that officially ends the festival.

Mardi Gras comes to the Philippines in spectacular style when the people of Kalibo take to the streets to dance through the night and parade their magnificent costumes. It's as festive an event as New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro could offer, with the strange feature of everyone having painted black faces.

Today things have got a little more complicated and the sound of drums booms through the town in frenzied rhythms for the entire duration of the three day festival (well actually, it lasts two weeks but the most important part culminates in the last three days). Everyone in striking distance is commanded to dance - or at least shake a hip or two. Over the centuries, the Ati-atihan hasn't escaped the influence of the Catholic church either, and this festival has grown to honour St Niño, the child Jesus too. (Other Philippine cities have tried to copy this festival too).

Everything goes during the three days - and costumes take various ridiculous guises. Transvestites sport their favourite frocks, schoolgirls with coconut hats jump around with aborigines, national heroes, drag queens and spacemen. Some of the costumes are so big that they block the streets. And of course, no fiesta would be complete without a beauty pageant, so there are a few of those.