A vestimenta como compromisso de fé e religiosidade dos devotos de Canindé-CE

Abstract

This work consists of an analysis of the clothing associated with Saint Francis of Assisi, as worn by the devotees of the São Francisco das Chagas pilgrimage in the municipality of Canindé, located in the interior of the state of Ceará, Brazil. The research aims to understand how clothing, particularly the Franciscan habit worn by pilgrims, transcends its functional purpose to take on a symbolic role in the fulfillment ofpromises, in devotional practices, and in the construction of belonging. Through an ethnographic and anthropological approach, including field observations conducted during the 2024 festivities and interviews with devotees, narratives were collected that reveal the symbolic power of dress as an act of faith. Based on the theoretical contributions of authors such as Pinto (2004), Macedo (2008), Vale (2017), Costa (2023), and Brandão & Santos (2021), the study demonstrates that religious clothing not only communicates individual devotion, but also serves as a link between the body and the sacred. In this context, the habit becomes an identity marker that expresses popular spirituality and reveals layers of the religious culture of Brazil's northeastern backlands.