The Divine Holy Spirit’s Party is a big event to worship the Holy Spirit and to celebrate its blessings upon the apostles of Christ on Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter.
Brought to Brazil by the Portuguese, the party has been held yearly in Pirenopolis since 1819 and gathers several catholic rituals, such as novenas, processions, congadas, besides the famous Cavalhadas, which enact medieval battles between Christians and the Moors. The event happens for about 60 days and its cultural expressions comprise festivities in the rural area and in the city’s streets.
In 2010, the party was registered in the Registry Book of Celebrations, created by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) to record festivities of great sociocultural importance. The Divine Holy Spirit’s Party has as its symbols the fire mandala, which represents the moment of the Spirit’s descent over the apostles, and the white dove, which alludes to the Holy Spirit itself.
For children, there is the Cavalhadinha, a kids’ version of the rituals.