O sagrado e o profano: um estudo das transformações da Festa de São Sebastião na comunidade de Currais, Nísia Floresta – RN

Abstract

This research analyzes the Feast of Saint Sebastian in the rural community of Currais, located in the municipality of Nísia Floresta, Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil). Its main objective is to understand the transformations that have occurred over time in the celebration of the patron saint, relating them to their historical, religious, social, and symbolic significance for local residents. Grounded in the principles of Cultural Geography and in discussions concerning the dimensions of the sacred and the profane, the study investigates how the festivity contributes to the construction of collective identity, a sense of belonging, and the symbolic use of community space. From a methodological perspective, the research is based on a bibliographic review, documentary analysis, field observation, and the collection of oral testimonies from residents-especially older inhabitants-whose memories highlight the centrality of the feast in the history and everyday life of the community. The results demonstrate that the Feast of Saint Sebastian goes beyond a strictly religious character, constituting an important moment of sociability, the strengthening of community ties, and the transmission of tradition across generations. The accounts also point to significant transformations over time, such as the reduction of the novena to a triduum and the decline in religious participation, aspects that indicate changes in the socio-cultural dynamics of the festivity. Even so, devotion to the patron saint remains alive, reaffirming the relevance of the feast as a structuring element of memory, identity, and social organization in the community of Currais.