The Festival of the Holy Ghost, or Festa do Divino, one of the most important Catholic and folkloric celebrations in Brazil, started yesterday in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro. The festivities will go through May 11.

Festa do Divino, which commemorates Pentecost, has its best-known version in Paraty, but it takes place throughout Brazil, with an immense diversity of regional details. Several other cities have become famous for the way they have been able to maintain festival traditions that date as far back as the 1700s and were originally brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonizers.

Photo of the Paraty City Chamber ©Prefeitura Municipal de Paraty.