DEVOTIONAL TRADITIONS, PLAYFUL INNOVATIONS: THE MULTIPLE VERSIONS OF THE SAIRÉ FESTIVAL

Abstract

This text deals with the Sairé Festival in Alter do Chão, one of the oldest known celebrations in the Amazon, with emphasis on transformation processes by which it passed, merging devout traditions and playful and spectacular innovations. It proposes that the historical experiences of clashes between revelers and church, around different concepts of the party as an act of devotion, were positively appropriate as a strategy for its continuity in the Lower Amazon.

Keywords: Holyfeasts; Sairé; Invention of tradition; Alter do Chão; Pará (Brasil)