‘Xangô rezado alto’ in Alagoas: public washing rituals and afrotourism

Abstract

This article examines the washing festivals held in Alagoas as cultural expressions that articulate religiosity, memory, and Afrotourism, understood as a sociocultural practice, a strategy for identity valorization, and a pathway for local development. Situated within the historical context of religious intolerance marked by the 1912 Quebra de Xangô, the study seeks to understand how these manifestations contribute to strengthening terreiro communities and consolidating Afrotourism. A qualitative approach was adopted, based on a multiple case study and triangulation of methods and sources. Three celebrations were investigated: the Washing of the Courtyard of Senhor do Bonfim Church (Maceió), the Washing of Rosário dos Pretos, and the Washing of the Sidewalk of Senhor do Bonfim Church (Penedo). Data collection included participant observation between 2023 and 2025 and semi-structured interviews with religious leaders and public managers. The findings show that these festivals transcend their ritual dimension, functioning as political acts of symbolic occupation of urban space and as strategies to confront religious racism. They also demonstrate potential for structured integration into Afrotourism policies. However, limitations in planning and state-level public action restrict their consolidation as continuous public policy. The study concludes that these celebrations can strengthen Afrotourism and articulate religiosity, memory, and local development, provided that the protagonism of terreiro communities is preserved and ritual integrity is safeguarded.