“Meu santo vai descer na hora que ele quiser”: as transformações no banho de São João de Corumbá após o processo de institucionalização da festa (1980-2019)

Abstract

This research examined the “Banho de São João” of Corumbá in Mato Grosso do Sul, a cultural manifestation that takes place every year on the night of June 23rd. It involves bathing the floats carrying the image of São João in the waters of the Paraguay River. Before the bathing ritual, the São João celebrants host their guests in their homes, throwing parties. However, the event’s highlight occurs at Porto Geral, following the procession along Cunha e Cruz Slope. The Corumbá City Hall is responsible for organizing and planning the event at the port. So, the goal was to figure out how these different São João celebrations, which the celebrants host, work and what their main characteristics are. Additionally, the role played by the local government in the last decades, especially between 1980 and 2019, was investigated, along with how these actions impacted the event. Through the method of oral history, it became possible to study the diverse ways of celebrating the festival as well as the religious, economic, political, and tourist interests involved. Interviews with public officials and celebrants revealed that the process is permeated by interests, resistances, conflicts, and convergences, resulting in many celebrations within this single festivity.