If you give God some peanuts...

This past Friday, the 12th,  I had the pleasure of participating in a mass sponsered by my university, the Catholic University of Pernambuco commemorating Afro-brazilian religions.  The ceremony hosted religious leaders of the catholic, candomblé, and umbanda religions and paid homage to Zumbi dos Palmares, the legendary slave who led the revolt against slavery in the northeast.  During the ceremony, there was dance, song, and another important element; food.

 After the songs and dance, there was a sermon, which honored Zumbi and the thousands of other slaves and blacks who suffered for independence and equal rights in the country.  The sermon was followed by offerings.  There was a procession, first with candles, then statues, baby dolls, paintings, fruit baskets, dried coconut candies, cakes, popcorn, and peanuts; all of which were displayed around the bible, which was propped up in a clay bowl with an African-printed blanket.

The procession begins with offerings of food (popcorn is pictured)

The event was truly a mix of the three religions, even with regards to the use of food.  After the offerings were made, there was eucharist and communion, involving the traditional Catholic items of wine and wafer.  After the ceremony was concluded, the procession resumed and the food and gifts were brought out in front of the church and everyone joined in the dance of Maracatu (a religious and cultural drum circle) and ate the popcorn, peanuts, and other snacks with Fanta and Guaraná to wash them down.

Mãe de Santo Maria Helena participates in the Eucharist with Padre Cloves

It was a truly inclusive event, and I found it important that these offerings reflected the tastes of the northeastern people, and included truly local ingredients; Sugar (the staple agricultural product of Pernambuco), coconut, fruits, peanuts, and corn.

So who knows, if you give God some peanuts, will you be blessed?  That we can't know exactly, but I don't believe that it's that which is most important.  If you give God some peanuts, you will surely share them among friends and get immediate positive feedback from the ceremony which I can assure, is more than just mere peanuts.

Maracatu celebration

Students from Mestre Corisco's special term for students with down syndrom in the group chapeu de couro dance to Maracatu