CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE- — PIERSON 



157 



fession, you have to recall the past," said a farmer, 

 46 years old, "the good things you've done and 

 the bad things. But I never tell anyone what 

 I've done, not a single soul." "This business of 

 confessing is not for me," said another villager, 

 62 years old. "Why should I be telling things to 

 another man ?" "I'm a Catholic but I don't go to 

 confession," remarked a 23-year-old farm woman. 

 "That is nonsense (iobage)." "I've confessed 

 only twice in my life," said another woman, 32 

 years old, "when I took my first communion and 

 when I was married. My oldest son (15 years 

 old) has confessed once: when he took his first 

 communion. He was 13 then. Neither my 

 daughter (12 j'ears old) nor my younger son 

 (10 years old) have taken communion yet." "The 

 only time in my life I've confessed," said another 

 farm woman, "was when I got married. That was 

 7 years ago." "Wlienever I can," said an elderly 

 woman who lives near the river several miles from 

 the village, "I go to Mass. But to confess — that's 

 another thing. You should confess your sins only 

 to the Father in Heaven; isn't that so?" 



RELIGIOUS FESTAS 



The principal festas of a religious character 

 which are held annually in the village are those 

 of Semana Santa (Holy Week), Nossa Senhora 

 da Piedade, Santa Cruz, Sao Benedito, Sao Jose, 

 Santo Antonio, Sao Pedro, and Sao Joao. Two 

 important festas are also held each year in the 

 nearby countryside: one at the chapel of Nossa 

 Senhora da Conceigao, the santa thought to be 

 especially efficacious in bringing rain ; ^'^ and the 

 other at the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Apareci- 

 dinha near the river to the north of the village. 

 In addition, local inhabitants participate each year 

 in two festas outside the community : that of Sao 

 Bom Jesus de Pirapora which draws celebrants to 

 the town of Pirapora from all over the region ; as 

 well as the festsk of Sao Roque which is held in 

 the town of Sao Roque. 



The principal function of the festa is to renew 

 periodically the common life of the community. 

 A considerable portion of the population attends. 

 The pi'ocess of communication is intensified. Local 

 inhabitants meet relatives, friends, and other ac- 

 quaintances, some of whom may live so far away 



^See Santos, p. 151. 



from each other, in terms of the means of trans- 

 port, that they are able to meet only occasionally 

 during the year. At festa.'^, they exchange conver- 

 sation regarding their common interests and com- 

 mon problems, their hopes, fears, plans, successes, 

 and disaiDpointments. Each person thus comes to 

 share more fully in the experiences of all the others. 

 By j^articipating in the common acts of the rezas, 

 Masses, and processions, the auctions of prendas, 

 the raising of mastros (see below), the setting off 

 of fireworks and, on the occasion of certain festas, 

 the dancing, the playing of games of chance, and 

 the drinking together, common attitudes and senti- 

 ments are reenforced, the sense of belonging to- 

 gether strengthened, and solidarity increased. 



A not insignificant function of the festa is also to 

 bring together j'oung men and women of marriage- 

 able age and thus to foster the process of choosing 

 and obtaining a mate. This function is reflected in 

 the following remarks of a young man, 19 years 

 old, after attending the last festa for Nossa Sen- 

 hora da Piedade: 



Yesterday, diverti nniito, namorei bastante (I had a 

 great time with the girls). I bought them pastries and 

 other things. I walked with them a lot. I was having 

 so much fun that I forgot to go home when it was time 

 to do the chores. There were so many pretty girls at 

 the fesfa that I could have kept on talking to them for 

 hours. 



For each festa, a group of persons, known as 

 festeiros, either are appointed by the padre or 

 themselves assume the obligation of helping pre- 

 pare for and carry out the several activities. For- 

 merly, they were only men ; today, however, wo- 

 men often participate. Children sometimes are 

 named, or otherwise accepted as festeiros, the par- 

 ents in such cases being responsible for the dis- 

 charge of the obligations involved. Each festeiro 

 is assisted by relatives and friends, so that, in one 

 way or another, virtually the entire village and a 

 considerable portion of the farming community 

 eventually are mobilized. 



Other roles exercised in carrying out a festa 

 are those of the bell ringer, who rings the bells in 

 the village church to "announce" the celebration 

 itself to the countryside, to call worshipers to the 

 reza or the Mass held as a part of the festa, and to 

 "salute" the procession as it sets out and as it 

 returns to the church; the padre, who partici- 

 pates especially in the reza, Mass, and procession ; 

 the fogueteiro, who prepares and sets off the fire- 



