Abstract
Sweets play an important role in Brazilian weddings. I argue in this paper that confectionery items occupy a central place in wedding festivities. Sweets, traditionally displayed on fixed items of furniture, are generally known as “mesas de doces” and encapsulate economic, moral, material, aesthetic and emotional dimensions. Moreover, I suggest that close observation of confectionary in weddings points to the existence of a specific hierarchy as well a particular sense of time. Since in recent years I have attempted to understand some of the meanings, codes and values invested in Brazilian weddings, this paper rests on ethnographic material collected between 2011 and 2014.
Key words:
Wedding rituals; Rites of passage; Sweets; Wedding