A Baiana woman climbs the stairs, before the ritual dance in honor to Omolú, the Candomblé spirit syncretized with Saint Lazarus, in front of the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Feet of a Candomblé devotee seen during the ‘popcorn bath’, an Afro-Brazilian spiritual cleansing ritual performed in front of the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Baiana women perform the ‘popcorn bath’, an Afro-Brazilian spiritual cleansing ritual, in front of the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
A Baiana woman performs the ‘popcorn bath’, an Afro-Brazilian spiritual cleansing ritual, in front of the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Wax votive offerings, related to healing, seen in the Votive Offering Room inside the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
A Baiana woman, performing a spiritual cleansing ritual, seen in front of the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
A Baiana woman performs a cleansing ritual, using the herbs for purification, in front of the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia.
A Baiana woman performs the ritual dance in honor to Omolú, the Candomblé spirit syncretized with Saint Lazarus, inside the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Votive candles to Omolú, the Candomblé spirit syncretized with Saint Lazarus, seen outside the St. Lazarus church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Saint Lazarus cult in Bahia
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil – January 2012
Every year on the last Sunday of January, the religious festival of Saint Lazarus takes place on a hill where the chapel of the same name was built in the 18th century. Faithful, of both the Catholic and Candomblé religions, dressed in the traditional white, usually undergo a purification cleansing ritual (banho de pipoca). As both Saint Lazarus and Omolú are related to diseases and healing, followers bring votive objects made of wax as a demonstration of gratitude and faith. The celebration ends with the festive Catholic Mass during which the elements of African mythology are present.
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