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Lavagem do Bonfim
Salvador's washing of the church steps: Bahian women in white sweep and wash the stairs with scented water.
When is Lavagem do Bonfim in 2027?
Lavagem do Bonfim 2027 is on Thursday, 14 January 2027. Other years: 2028, Thursday, 20 January 2028.
About Lavagem do Bonfim
The Lavagem do Bonfim takes place on the second Thursday after Epiphany, in Salvador, Bahia, and is one of the clearest examples of the mixing of Catholic and Afro-Brazilian traditions. It starts at the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia, in the lower city, where thousands of people, many in white and carrying flowers, walk about eight kilometres behind carts, oxen, and the drums of afoxé groups, to the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. At the church, the baianas, Bahian women in white lace, ritually wash the steps with water scented with lavender, perfume and flowers, while pouring and sprinkling, with prayers and songs. The ritual's roots go back to enslaved people who were made to wash the church before the festival and who linked Our Lord of Bonfim with Oxalá, the orisha of creation. Ribbons from the church are tied around wrists.
Lavagem do Bonfim dates: 2027, 2028
| Year | Lavagem do Bonfim date |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Thursday, 14 January 2027 |
| 2028 | Thursday, 20 January 2028 |
What is eaten
- acaraje
- vatapa
- cocada
Also part of it, and being written: Senhor do Bonfim (The devotion.), Baiana (The woman in the white dress of Bahia.), Oxalá (The orisha linked to the Lord.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Lavagem do Bonfim" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.