The festivities of Souls: the birthday of the confraternities of the Souls of Purgatory of Braga in the Modern Age

Abstract

In this work we try to analyze the birthdays of the confraternities of Braga in the Modern Age, highlighting these festivities as promoters of these institutions in favor of the Souls of Purgatory. If each of the twelve confraternities of this invocation had their own identity and autonomy, they all had common traits and the same goal: to free the Souls who were suffering in Purgatory, a temporary place of purgation of sins and from which one could go out with the aid of alive. In addition to the festivities that would take place throughout the year and on the day of the Saints and the Faithful of God, the confraternities of the Souls celebrated the Souls in their greatest celebration: the anniversary. It is our goal to analyze this festivity and integrate it into the baroque environment in which it was inserted.

Keywords

• hermandades de almas
• aniversario
• fiesta
• edad moderna
• braga