Thursday before the second Sunday that follows Epiphany: discover the Brazilian Feast of Bonfim

Every year in January, on the second Thursday after Epiphany, the “Lavagem da Igreja do Bonfim” (“Washing of the Bonfim Church”), takes place.
Celebrated in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, it is a vibrant expression of faith and culture that brings together people from different backgrounds, merging Catholic traditions with elements of Afro-Brazilian spirituality, and it is the most popular folk festival next to the Carnival.
The celebration begins with thousands of believers who gather in the lower city (“Cidade Baixa”) for one of the largest religious processions in Brazil led by Bahian women dressed in traditional white attire who walk for several kilometers, carrying scented water to the Church of Bonfim.
Once the procession reaches the church, a ceremonial washing of its steps takes place.
This ritual is the highlight of the festivities and involves pouring water infused with herbs and flowers onto the church’s steps, accompanied by singing and drumming.
This act, initially performed by enslaved people, has transformed into a profound gesture of purification and hope.
The festival’s blend of Catholic and Candomblé elements demonstrates the deep cultural syncretism present in Bahia, in a time for devotees to renew their faith, celebrate their heritage, and make personal requests to Senhor do Bonfim, the figure associated with both Christ and the orisha Oxalá in the Candomblé tradition.

The Feast of Bonfim began in 1745 when Theodózio Rodrigues de Faria, a Portuguese sea captain, faced a terrifying storm at sea. He owned three slave ships with which the slaves were brought from Africa to Brazil. If he survived, he promised he would single-handedly bring a statue of the Senhor do Bonfim and Nossa Senhora da Guia to Brazil.
True to his word, he returned with the statues and placed them in the church built on a hill in Salvador, as an event that marked the start of the celebration which mixes Catholic and African traditions, reflecting the diverse culture of Bahia.
The festival centers around faith in the protective powers of Senhor do Bonfim and, over time, it grew into a large event with a procession, music, and the symbolic washing of the church steps.
This ritual, which once involved cleaning the church for religious reasons, now symbolizes purification and renewal with thousands of people that gather each year to honor Senhor do Bonfim, asking for protection and blessings.

One of the most famous traditions of the Festa do Senhor is to give another person a so-called fita, a colored cloth ribbon.
According to tradition, it must be placed on the wrist, and ach fita represents a request with which one silently addresses the Senhor. Normally, they are attached to the wrist with three knots and the wishes are only fulfilled when the cloth ribbon comes off the wrist by itself.
Since the year 1809, the custom of the fitas belongs to the Festa do Senhor do Bonfim. They were introduced by Manoel Antônio da Silva Servo, who was treasurer at the time and was looking for a way to increase revenue. At that time, the fitas were still called medida (means) and had the same length as the right arm of the Senhor do Bonfim, made of cotton and used as decoration or bookmarks.
Either way the festival remains a unique and vibrant event, combining spiritual devotion with cultural pride.

Images from web – Google Research