Now, technically, it is Christian feast day, but really it's held to honor the original inhabitants of the island, the Ati. See, when the Malay chieftans purchased the island from the ati over 600 years ago, they decided to have a big feast to celebrate. These days, people wear these huge colorful costumes made from dyed cloth, straw and paper, wild make-up and many people blacken their skin in honor of the Ati. The drum beat goes all day and night. People form these impromptu dance halls in local houses and yards.
People come from all over the world to take part.