Tradition and faith – Festivities of the Divine boost tourism in cities in São Paulo

The tradition Christian tradition of celebrating the Divine Holy Spirit remains alive and gains great prominence in different parts of the world and, of course, in Brazil this is no different! In the cities of São Paulo, the celebrations of the Festa do Divino boost the economy and religious and gastronomic tourism every year in cities such as Mogi das Cruzes, Itu, Caraguatatuba, São Luiz do Paraitinga, Anhembi and Itanhaém.

History of the Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit

Officially, the tradition of this celebration began in the Middle Ages, in Europe, when Italian monks took devotion to the Divine Holy Spirit to the Azores islands and, later, in the 13th century, Queen Santa Isabel made this celebration official in Portugal. Therefore, for these parties to reach all of Brazil and the other Portuguese colonies, it was very fast.

If, on the one hand, the cult of the Divine Holy Spirit, which had its origins in the feast of Pentecost and commemorates the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the shape of a tongue of fire over the apostles, on the other hand, the celebration also commemorates the harvest of plantations, in the 50 days that follow Easter.

Since their arrival in Brazilian villages, already in the 17th century, these festivities have also added to traditions of African origin, the typical foods of the tropeiros (such as the drowned), the ribbon dance (whose origins are lost in time), which generated characteristics very distinct, in addition to the common symbol of the white dove, the form in which the Holy Spirit appeared during Jesus' baptism, according to the Bible.

Check out the list of Divino Espírito events in the State of São Paulo:

Festivities of the Divine in São Paulo

Itu

Just over 100 km from São Paulo, Itu promotes one of the most important Festas do Divino in the interior of São Paulo. It was from there that the tradition spread to cities such as Porto Feliz, Tietê, Laranjal Paulista, Piracicaba and Capivari.

The festivities begin at Easter, when the images are blessed and then travel through the countryside to visit farms and farms, where gifts are requested for the feast of Pentecost. Preparation for the Feast of Pentecost began on April 6, on the initiative of the Núcleo Cultural da Folia do Divino Espírito Santo de Itu.

At this year's event, seven visits by the Bandeira do Divino Espírito Santo to homes for prayers, praises, singing and blessings. The celebrations end on May 19th.

To get to Itu, leaving São Paulo, you need to access SP-280 (Rodovia Castello Branco) until exit 78 and SP-075 (Rodovia Archimedes Lammoglia) until exit 30-A.

Mogi das Cruzes

Mogi das Cruzes, 61 km from the capital, is proud to hold the title of one of the oldest and most important Divine Festivals in São Paulo. The first record of the celebration dates back to May 1613, in minutes of the Chamber of the then “Villa de Sant'Anna de Mogy Mirim”, as it was called at the time.

Some aspects of the old festivities remained, such as the Entrance of Palmitos, a procession that runs through the streets of the center, always attended by more than 40 thousand people.

The Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit of Mogi das Cruzes this year takes place from the 9th to the 19th of May, and its theme is “Divine Holy Spirit, pour into our hearts the Gift of Mercy”. The program will feature masses, novenas, fairs, sunrises, empire of the Divine, procession, processions and burning of ribbons and requests made by devotees.

In fact, recently the Diocese of the municipality filed documentation with Iphan (Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage) for the Festa do Divino de Mogi to be considered intangible cultural heritage of Brazil. Cool huh? More information at official party website

As a Mogian, I can say that this is one of the coolest traditions, and there is no resident of the city who fails to enjoy the pies and the party's drowned food, the cold mountain climate of our city makes everything even more delicious!

To get to Mogi das Cruzes, leaving São Paulo, you need to access SP-070 (Rodovia Ayrton Senna) until exit 44 and SP-088 (Rodovia Pedro Eroles).

Anhembi

Tradition for a century and a half, Anhembi enchants its visitors with its traditional festivals, natural beauty and cultural habits.

The Festa do Divino de Anhembi is the largest religious tourist event in the city and annually receives around 60 thousand people who fill the streets in an act of faith and devotion to the Holy Spirit.

Every year, faithful go from house to house carrying the Divine flag and singing traditional songs. The pilgrimage lasts nine days and the culmination of the celebration occurs after mass when people go to the Encontro das Canoas ceremony, where the Tietê River is crossed, using boats and two barges.

The festival, which starts on May 9th, also features fireworks that symbolize the descent of the Holy Spirit.

To get to Anhembi, leaving São Paulo, you need to access SP-280 (Castello Branco) until exit 143-A, SP-141 (Mário Batista Mori), SP-143 (Floriano de Camargo Barros), SP-300 ( Mal Rondon) until the exit of km 224 and SP-147.

Itanhaém

The second oldest city in Brazil, Itanhaém has been celebrating the Divine Holy Spirit for more than 300 years. With a program full of customs, the festival involves believers of all ages.

The program is full of important moments, such as the Folia do Divino no Rio Acima, Noite da Soca, the Festive Dawn, Opening of the Empire, Solemn Mass, Closing of the Setenary and Procession of the Divine Holy Spirit. The party starts on May 20th.

To get to Itanhaém, leaving São Paulo, you must take Rodovia dos Imigrantes (SP – 160) and then Rodovia Manoela da Nóbrega (SP – 055).

Caraguatatuba

On the North Coast, Caraguatatuba has been celebrating the Festa do Divino, its patron saint, since 1992. This year's Festa do Divino Espírito Santo begins on April 26th and runs until May 26th. The highlight will be on May 1st, when masses and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Diocese of Caraguatatuba are planned. As always, food is shared to the sound of prayers and singing, which links popular culture with religiosity.

To get to Caraguatatuba from São Paulo, you must take SP-070 (Ayrton Senna and Carvalho Pinto Highways) until exit 96 and then SP-099 (Rodovia dos Tamoios).

São Luiz do Paraitinga

Tourist resort and 86 km from the Capital, São Luiz do Paraitinga is more than Carnival of Marchinhas. It is also the stage for celebrations in honor of the Holy Spirit. This year, the celebration takes place from the 10th to the 12th of May on the streets of the Historic Center with an expected audience of over 50 thousand tourists who arrive in the city to pay promises, pray, follow the procession of the Divine and ask for blessings.

Tourists still enjoy the typical cuisine (there is the preparation of drowned, a beef and potato stew, which is the star of the celebration), the giant dolls João Paulino and Maria Angu, the ancient Dança das Fitas (of European origin) and the procession of the Divine.

From the Capital, you can reach São Luiz do Paraitinga via Highways SP-070 (Ayrton Senna and Carvalho Pinto) and SP-125 (Rodovia Oswaldo Cruz).

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