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About the Senhor do Bonfim Ribbons
Senhor do Bonfim wrist ribbons, known as fitas, are an institution in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Senhor do Bonfim, for the uninitiated, means Our Lord of a Good End, which is one way that Baianas refer to Jesus. Hardly a tourist can resist purchasing at least one of the colorful ribbons.
An enormous number of fitas are distributed in the historic Pelourinho district of Brazil's first capital, Salvador, where African slaves were once sold at auction. Countless more are sold at fairs and bazaars throughout the country. But the celebrated souvenir bears little resemblance to the original. Created in 1809, fitas had all but disappeared by the middle of the century. Now they've reemerged, albeit in a different guise.
The Measure of Bonfim
The original fita was known as "the measure of Bonfim", a name it acquired because its size corresponded to the length of the right arm on a statue of Christ on the high-alter of Bahia's most famous church, Senhor do Bonfim.
Although the likeness was sculpted in Setúbal, Portugal, in the 18th century, the first fita—as previously noted—was only produced in the following century. The true 19th century fitas were fashioned from a piece of silk and finished with permanent ink or silver. Their design included the name of a saint in lettering that was embroidered by hand.
These first fitas were worn on the neck as a collar, upon which were hung medallions and holy images. In contrast to the modern day fita the "measure" was used as much to reflect change as to (hopefully) facilitate it. The faithful adorned them with small images and/or little wax sculptures of body parts believed to have been cured with the help of a saint. These opportunities to be remembered were purchases that supported, as well as symbolized, the Catholic Church.
The New Fita
The common fita of today is not made of silk, comes in many colors and is tied around the (left usually) wrist rather than around the neck. Its primary function is to petition for future miracles—large or small—rather than to remind anyone of previous such interventions. The modern-day fita is also purchased and worn to promote Brazilian pride and/or simply as a souvenir.
Multiple chances for a miracle, or chances for multiple miracles, are obtained as the purchaser makes a wish each time one of three knots are tied to secure the fita around the wrist. But the wearer is advised that no wish can be granted unless the cloth is permitted to wear until it disintegrates naturally and falls from the wrist of its accord.
Item Details
Item: 10 ribbons in different colors with the inscription "Lembrança do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia" (Reminder of Our Lord of a Good End of Bahia)
Please note that these ribbons are not of the "Brazilets" bracelets brand. The ones we offer are the original Senhor do Bonfim ribbons that are found in Brazil, and from which the Brazilets were inspired.
If you are looking other items from Brazil, visit our store.
About Our Store
In our store you will find a broad range of products from Brazil. We specialize primarily in a large selection of religious medals and pendants made of Brazilian semi-precious stones and minerals. Visit our store to see our full range of products.
Payment Details
We prefer PayPal for all payments due to its convenience for both the buyer as well as the seller. PayPal is a secure payment service owned by eBay and accepts payments with all major credit cards and echecks. It is not necessary to open a PayPal account to make a payment. If you have any questions on how to use PayPal, feel free to contact us and we will try to help out. Please note that all echeck payments must be cleared by your banking institution (usually takes 3-4 days) before we mail out the item.
We are located in Brazil, which means that personal checks are not accepted by local banking institutions. Please do not send us cash - the postal service is fairly reliable here in Brazil, but we will not be responsible if payments go missing in the mail.
Please bid only if you are planning to pay. Although we are in principle against giving negative feedback, we will file an unpaid item dispute with eBay for items that are not paid within 14 days (this will result in a warning from eBay's administration and may lead to expulsion from the eBay community). If you encounter any problems, contact us and we will gladly try to work-out a solution with you.
Shipping & Handling
We send all items through regular priority mail. We usually mail items every Tuesday and Friday after payment has been received, so we ask our customers to plan their payments accordingly. Delivery to most locations takes an average of two weeks from the mailing date (although we ask to allow for up to three weeks since we have found out that it is not an exact science). Please note that priority mail in Brazil does not offer tracking services.
We do offer shipping discounts for multiple item purchases. Please refer to each listing for details. Contact us for shipping rates if you are interested in large volumes.
The local post office does offer express mail services, which take up to a week for delivery, depending on the location. Contact us for rates.
Insurance is included in S&H.
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