Saturday of Hallelujah

In the middle of Easter holiday I like staying in my hometown Campinas city, São Paulo state, Brazil. It is an opportunity to photograph an extraordinary Afro Brazilian ritual when the cathedral stairs downtown are washed.

Saturday of Hallelujah is a sad day and all the churches doors are closed; symbolizing Jesus death. In my hometown is the same, however this day there is a fragrance in the air; lavender the essence that Candomblé devotees (Afro religion that was brought from Africa) use for the ritual.

Every year at this date I go to the old train station where all the Afro groups meet and from there they walk down as a procession until the cathedral. The ritual started in 1985 when a garbage woman and a mother of Saint of Candomblé called Dango suffered cultural and religious prejudice in front of the cathedral. She prayed that would not face this situation again. She made a vow that she would wash the stairs of  it in this date, and the descendants of the slaves that worked to erect the cathedral follow this tradition till today, to spread love, peace and unity.

For a couple of years I have decided to document this ritual. Saturday of Hallelujah spread a smell of lavender and hope.