Ati-Atihan Festival

The Ati-Atihan is the Philippine equivalent of the Mardi Gras in terms of costumes and street revelry. However, it is also a multiple celebration: in honor of the Santo Nino; of the friendship between the indigenous peoples of the Philippines and the newly arrived Malays in the 13th century, and thanksgiving. In the Philippines, the participants cover themselves with soot (since the indigenous peoples are dark-skinned) -- hence the black costume for this group in Philadelphia. In the Philippines, the Ati-Atihan is celebrated on the same day as the feast of Santo Nino.