This article explores the meaning of attempts to preserve the Folia de Reis (Revelry of the Wise Men) in the district of Freguesia do Ó, in the north of São Paulo city. As a counterpoint, it analyzes the event Revelando São Paulo (Revealing São Paulo), organized by the State Government, which also looks to preserve São Paulo's traditional popular culture. Using the debate between Florestan Fernandes and the folklorists, initiated in the 1940s, as a theoretical and methodological starting point, the article aims to demonstrate that what is being disputed in the former's figuration is not only the meaning of preservation but, more importantly, how the preservation itself is achieved.
Folia de Reis; São Paulo city; Traditional popular culture; Florestan Fernandes; Folklore