How to catch a husband (Brazilian style)

Answer: PRAY. Leave it to Sara and me to find not one, but two churches where Brazilians traditionally go to pray for a spouse.

The first church, the Igreja São Francisco da Penitência & Convento do Santo Antônio, is in the Centro district of Rio de Janeiro, just outside of the Carioca subway stop. Ironic that this spouse-finding church is a convent, no? In Portugese cultures, Saint Anthony is the patron saint of fertility. Worldwide, he is known as the saint of lost souls, and most famously, the patron saint of lost things. I am losing my patience with dating, so this works out. The convent is currently under construction and therefore not accessible to the public, but I think (hope! desperately.) that we got close enough to get our point across.

The second church is the far more iconic Igreja Nosso Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador. Bonfim is a healing church– if you go inside, you’ll find an entire room (Sala dos Milagres, or Room of Miracles) filled with pictures, letters, and wax body parts that represent prayers and praise for better health. I was more so focused on the wish element of Bonfim, but you can read a comprehensive write-up about the church history here.

Bonfim Wish Ribbons (photo by Joao Vicente)

Pretty much as soon as we arrived in Salvador, we were approached by vendors offering to sell us colorful ribbons (fitas). The ribbons range in price from R$1 for 25 fitas to R$1 for a single fita. (You can guess how much I paid). We bought as many ribbons as we had prayers plus one for good measure. (Unless you are a crazy person, you only need a few ribbons for your visit to Bonfim. Use the extras as souvenirs.)

See all of those ribbons? ALL MINE. Joking. Sort of. (photo by Turismo Bahia)

After we browsed the Room of Miracles, we scouted out a spot for our ribbons. We tied our ribbons to the gates of the church– one for each prayer. Then, while waiting for the tour bus that never came, I had Sara tie my final ribbon around my wrist. She made three knots, each one of which represents a wish. Legend has it that by the time the ribbon falls off, my three wishes will come true. Notably, our friends Amy and Maria have been wearing their ribbons for two years now, so choose your ribbon color wisely! It should obviously coordinate with your wardrobe, but you should also choose a color that represents the Orisha god that you might need to channel for guidance.

Whatever you do, don’t tell anyone what your three wishes are and don’t cut off your ribbon!

Details that may be helpful for you:

Getting there: WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE SALVADOR BUS. This double decker tour bus will drop you off, never to return, not even if you wait for hours at a time over the course of two days! From Barra, the Mercado Modelo, or Campo Grande, take one of the privately-run, fast-driving city buses toward Ribeira. If you tell the driver you want to go to Bonfim, he let you know when to get off. (Obrigata, bus driver!)

Cost: Virtually free! Each ribbon will cost you approximately 5 US cents.

Safety: You should be fine once you get up to the church, but if you decide to go for a stroll, watch your bag in the surrounding neighborhood.

Special events: The Festa do Bonfim occurs annually on the second Thursday of January. Join a massive parade of revelers as they trek 8 km to Igreja Nosso Senhor do Bonfim for the ritual washing of the steps of the church. Thousands of people join up and there’s definitely some partying and chachaca & cerveja drinking along the way.

Tagged as: love, travel