| São Luís - São José do Ribamar |
Square of São José Church
São José Church |
To those who want to go deep in the history and culture of São Luís, the best thing
to do is to know the city of São José do Ribamar, a simple city, considered of extreme religiosity. However, don’t think that the city is serious
and without entertainment options.
The beaches are ideal to those who need some relaxing days at the seaside with their
families and friends. 35 km away from São Luís, the long Praia de Panaquatira (Panaquatira Beach) is a good refuge. The place is indicated during
the low tide, since during the high tides, the access is very complicated, once the cars cannot cross the water level. Many times, the water
reaches the gates of the houses.
Another beach. Praia de Boa Viagem has gentle waves. With thin sand and a calm
seaside, the environment is propicious to the practice of sports, as well as in praia do Caúra. Spread over the seaside, there are some bars,
which offer shrimp, crab and other sea foods.
But São João Ribamar doesn’t live only of beaches. It’s not known as a religious
city for anything. It’s in the center of the city that São José Church is located, where commemorations in devotion to the saint occur during
September. The place is one of the postcards of the city and guards a curiosity: the ceiling decoration is not finished. The architecture is
simple and carries traces of the Jesuit churches. In 1980 it was reformed, since the ceiling was deteriorating.
There’s also a replica of gruta de Lourdes, from France, built in 1957 and is
placed at the square with the city’s same name. To illustrate the devotion of the residents of the region, Museu dos Ex-Votos, a kind of deposit
of wishes, was opened. Many habitues use to leave notes, letters and messages to the saints. Some even left carved wood pieces in the shape of
body parts, to represent wishes of healing and to thank for granted wishes.
The city’s main religious feast is consecrated to São José do Ribamar, realized in
September. The date is defined according to the Moon phases, following the tradition. The festivity attracts people from the entire State of
Maranhão, who travel to the city to do their homage to the patron saint. Everything is commemorated with plenty of dance, food and beverages,
beside fireworks. There are typical rites, like Dança do Baralho, where beautiful women form a kind of chord and go throughout the streets with
castanets, accordions and tambourines.
Now, Carnaval do Lava Pratos is a carnival celebrated one week after the date of
the official one. It starts at São José spread throughout the neighbor cities. |
Presentation
