The word Sinulog comes from the Cebuano adverb sulog, roughly means water current describing the forward-backward dance movements.

An image of the Child Jesus is said to be the baptismal gift Ferdinand Magellan gave to Hara Amihan (Humanay) of Zebu (now Cebu) in April 1521.

The Sinulog is observed as a celebration of the Filipino people's embrace of Christianity, marking a significant moment in the country's religious and cultural history, particularly in Cebu.

[5][irrelevant citation] On March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan arrived and planted the cross on the shores of Cebu, claiming the territory for Spain.

Some Sinulog dances interpret the historical events surrounding the arrival of the Spaniards and the presentation of the Santo Niño to Queen Juana, though various performances may emphasize different aspects of the festival's history and significance.

A popular theme among Sinulog dances is Queen Juana holding the Santo Niño in her arms and using it to bless her people who were often afflicted with sickness believed to be caused by demons and other evil spirits.

Pointing to the image of the Santo Niño, Baladhay explained that he had found on top of him a small child trying to wake him and tickling him with the midrib of the coconut.

In one of the burning huts, one of Legazpi's men, Juan Camus, discovered the image of the Santo Niño inside a wooden box beside other idols.

Starting in 1980, the Cebu City government organized the Sinulog Festival and eventually gave incentives also to tribal dance groups.

Marking its difference from another popular Visayan festival, the Ati-Atihan, the Sinulog focuses on both the ritual aspects and the historical context of the dance, which symbolizes the Philippines' embrace of Christianity.

It is usually located in the open space surrounding the Compania Maritima building, and is only a few meters away from the Magellan's Cross and the Basilica del Santo Niño.

Sinulog has also been performed in international competitions in South Korea and the Philippine Independence Day Parade in New York City.

The champions of the two qualifying events advance to the main Sinulog grand parade and a number of competitors from both also are granted automatic bids for the same for their performance.

They turned to the coat of arms of the Santo Niño which consisted of a two-headed hawk that was the mark of the ruling House of Habsburg in Europe.

The native shield is supposed to symbolize the Philippine's resistance to colonization while the Santo Niño's coat of arms printed on its face represents the country's acceptance of Christianity.