This article analyzes the Círio [candle-lit procession] and the Feast of Our Lady of Nazaré as a great collective rite that combines formal and devotional aspects with the profane informality of a Brazilian festival. As a grass roots manifestation of Catholicism and a typical celebration of the state of Pará, the Círio of Nazaré and attending festivities embrace native elements to express a regional identity, a particular temporality, and a perception of order and differing ways to contrast it.
Círio of Nazaré; religious feast; ritual
