PIRENOPOLIS, Brazil — The heartland Brazilian city of Pirenópolis is hosting its annual Cavalhadas festival, a Holy Spirit celebration where participants ride horses, wear masks and don floral headpieces.
The tradition began in the 1800s with a Portuguese priest who wanted to celebrate the Holy Spirit — one of the entities of the Roman Catholic Church's trinity — and also commemorate the victory of Iberian Christian knights over the Moors.
The festivities include an open-air reenactment of a battle between Christian warriors and Muslims. At the end, the defeated Moors are converted to Catholicism.
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