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Why is it Okay to Drink/Be Drunk, Remove Clothing, etc. during Ati-Atihan Festival?

It is because the Ati-Atihan celebration is a yearly tradition of the people of Aklan, this

celebration emits the “Welcoming of new beginnings” and gives everyone a chance to loosen up

and enjoy right now while also temporarily forgetting present problems that are bothering that

certain person who is joining in the Ati-Atihan Festival.

It is okay to Drink/Be Drunk during the festival because (for some people) the alcohol

allows them to relax and (in a way) enjoy the on-going happenings while said person gets

intoxicated. Getting drunk does not always mean creating fights, throwing up, and disturbing

others, it allows that person to “get into the mood” for celebration parties, the festival parades

and more acts of Ati-Atihan enjoyment.

It is okay to Remove Clothing (for the Masculine gender) because simply taking off your

shirt does not affect the crowd (other than a few percentage compared to the lot). Ati-Atihan

legally and culturally allows drinking on the streets because it is considered as a tradition. The

folks in tribal costumes with their faces painted with black soot depict the folkloric Barter of

Panay, which tells the story of how 10 Bornean datus and their families escaped a despotic ruler

in Borneo during the 13th century to settle in Panay Island.

People freely dancing on the streets while drinking free-flowing alcoholic beverages.

While holding an image of the Santo Niño in one hand, a partygoer can hold a beer, whiskey or

rum on the other hand as everyone snakes their way around the streets alongside folks wearing

tribal costumes and slowly prances to repetitive drum and lyre beats. What makes the Ati-Atihan

distinctive and memorable is its ability to entice its spectators to freely participate. In the Ati-
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Atihan, there are no walls and boundaries. It is the free spirit of Kalibo residents and guests from

all over the Philippines and abroad that make it a worthy and memorable festival. At first, you

enjoy watching people but after some time, the beatings of the drums mesmerize and hypnotize

you to join them in the parade. To best experience sadsad, follow the group that you can relate to

and enjoy their company. Expect the biggest Ati-atihan street dancing “Sadsad Pagpasaeamat,”

happening at major streets in the province.

For the first-time festival-goer, Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan fiesta may seem a bit overwhelming

with so much happening in that one week. Imagine seven days and nights of endless street

parties, eating and drinking, music and dancing.