The Observance of All Souls' Day in the Guinea-Bissau Region: A Christian Holy Day, An African Harvest Festival, an African New Year's Celebration, or All of the Above(?)

“[A] desecration of our religion.” On the eve of All Saints' Day on November 1, 1898, a Portuguese army officer, Henrique Augusto Dias de Carvalho, observed a colorful and noisy crowd of people wending through the streets of Bolama beginning the celebration of dia dos finados (All Souls' Day), which day of supplication for the faithful departed is observed by Christians on November 2. The indigenous Christians generally from long-standing custom and according to local practices customarily pay homage to the dead on the second day of November, beginning this commemoration on the eve of All Saints' Day after midnight.They come out of their dwellings and gather at the door of the local church whence they proceed with little lights walking in procession through all the streets singing the Ave-Maria mixed with African songs.Men and women with fantastic costumes, as if it were carnival, and swigging aguardente and palm wine wander about for three entire nights in this manner until after daybreak; then they disperse, everyone returning to their dwellings, to come out again at night, and spending all day on the 2nd in singing and dancing. The groups combine this with alcoholic drinks and engage in lewd behavior, which debauchery attains its peak during the night of the 2nd until dawn, when after several hours of rest, the finale of the commemoration takes place, which consists of feasting and more drinking, inside or in the open air at a place some distance from the settlement, afterwards singing once again Ave-Marias for the souls of all the departed.