Honoring the infant Jesus or Santo Nino, Ati-atihan festival dancers grace the streets with their outlandish paints on their faces, eccentric costumes and body rhythms and cheerful smiles. Celebrated on the bountiful province of Aklan on the island of Panay, the festival stands not to unwoven every tourist’s and spectator’s expectations of a week-long festivity with its parades, merrymaking, processions and of course the reason which every visitor has, street dancing. This event is history. Ati-atihan, meaning “make believe Atis” is not just any event of dancing and drumming, it is an event commemorating both history and faith.
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