The festivities of the Divine Holy Spirit in São Paulo: rituals, testimonies and migration experiences

Abstract

The investigation is about the religious festival called the Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit. We seek to discover which cities in
the state of São Paulo have reproduced and maintained it over the years, as well as look at diversities related to local aspects,

including perceptions and meanings of the signs and symbols from the migratory processes that gave origin to this Luso-
Brazilian expression. Using a deductive methodology, we searched bibliographical sources for a systemization of origins which brought and disseminated the festivities throughout the territory and the respective “miscegenation”, in an attempt
to describe and understand the main reasons for the maintenance of this Divine religion. In addition, Oral History is
considered, to study ritual participation in order to mediate the human relations of the festivities, in which stories partake
in the formation of the subjects and in the production of meanings of the maintenance of the traditional festivities. Thus,
the study considers not only the oral history through testimonies and experiences, as a form of collaboration of those
involved, but also participatory research from a socio-historical perspective, and reflection on the modus operandi of the
festivities.