- Preparation for the holiday
- Festive table
- Customs and traditions
- New Year gifts
- Sacrifice to the gods
- Where is the best place to celebrate the holiday
Brazilians are a cheerful and friendly people, so they celebrate the New Year (Confraternização) on a grand scale and are always glad to have tourists at this holiday. Due to weather conditions, December is one of the hottest months of the year, which makes the meeting of the coming year unusual and fills this event with a special atmosphere.
Preparation for the holiday
Unlike the generally accepted opinion that the New Year is considered a purely family holiday, for Brazilians December 31 is another reason to meet friends and take part in public events.
Two weeks before the celebration, all the main streets of large cities are decorated with illumination, lanterns and decorative fir trees. Shop windows begin to glow with colored lights, and local authorities set up a Christmas tree on a wide raft that floats around the embankment on New Year's Eve. Such a spectacle annually gathers a huge number of people expecting a pyrotechnic performance of unprecedented beauty.
It is worth noting separately that in the evening of December 31, an airship begins to run over the city, announcing the onset of the New Year.
As for private houses and apartments, Brazilians also decorate them with various compositions of flowers and fruits, complementing the Christmas decor. The New Year's interior is preserved until February, when numerous carnivals are held in the country.
Festive table
It is not customary to eat a lot during the celebration, so the hostesses try to prepare a modest but varied table. As a rule, the menu for the New Year consists of the following national dishes: beef steaks; makeki (fish stewed with tomatoes and eggs); akaraji (shrimp buns with nuts); feijoada (black bean stew with pork and spices); watapi (stewed seafood with the addition of coconut milk); fresh vegetables; sweets Causinho and Brigadeiro.
As alcoholic drinks, Brazilians prefer cachaça, which has been made from sugarcane juice since ancient times and has been infused for a long time. The caipirinha cocktail with a pleasant citrus aroma is also held in high esteem.
Customs and traditions
Brazil is the country where African, Indian and European cultures are harmoniously intertwined. Most of the rituals are performed during the New Year holidays. Let's consider the most significant traditions for Brazilians:
- On December 31st, people can be seen throwing sheets of paper out of windows. This is a very common custom, symbolizing the end of the working year. Brazilians are confident that only by throwing out all the old paper from the office, the next year will bring good luck and financial well-being.
- It is customary to celebrate the holiday only in white clothes. This is due not only to the hot weather, but also to the fact that the white color is associated with the inhabitants of the country with the beginning of a new stage in life.
- One of the names of the holiday sounds like Reveillon, which means "fraternize". On New Year's Eve, Brazilians hug each other with wishes of happiness and health.
- Brazilian women weave wreaths of white flowers for the New Year and lower them into the water, making a wish. If the wreath does not sink for a long time, this is a sure sign that the dream will come true.
- Before the holiday, it is important to forgive your offenders, pay back debts, and also throw old things out of the house.
New Year gifts
The most valuable gifts are presented at Christmas, however, on December 31, you can receive a gift from relatives and friends. Most often, Brazilians give pleasant little things, among which souvenirs, wood products, figurines and textiles are especially popular.
It is noteworthy that everyone's beloved Santa Claus or Papai Noel does not play a key function during the New Year's celebrations, since this fabulous character copes with his task already at Christmas.
Sacrifice to the gods
According to an ancient tradition, Brazilians gather on the seashore on December 31 to offer a sacrifice to the lady of the water element named Yemanje. Outwardly, the goddess is depicted as a young girl with long hair and a beautiful face. The statue of Iemanzhe is installed on the coast, bonfires are kindled nearby, and people begin to dance and sing ritual songs. Each visitor puts a bouquet of flowers, a candle and fruit on a wooden stand, and then sends an impromptu raft into the ocean. The ritual is aimed at maintaining peace of mind in the coming year.
Also, rituals associated with the deity Oryx have been preserved in the country. The fact is that several centuries ago, the Portuguese brought servants from Africa to Brazil. These people worked in harsh conditions and were slaves. It was the Africans who first introduced the Brazilians to Oryx, which is still perceived as a guardian angel. Therefore, sacrifice to Oryx is an integral part of New Year's customs.
Where is the best place to celebrate the holiday
Having decided to go on a trip to Brazil for the New Year, you can be sure that you will get the maximum of positive emotions. The capital of Rio de Janeiro is recognized as the center of mass events and celebrations, where unique show programs are organized. On New Year's Eve, you will have the opportunity to enjoy an amazing spectacle and see with your own eyes how Brazilians greet the coming year.
After visiting Rio de Janeiro, try a trip to Sao Paulo. The city is famous for its historical sites, Iberapueru Park and other fascinating sites. On New Year's Eve, São Paulo also hosts various parties with the participation of the city's best creative teams.
Wildlife lovers are advised to visit the chic Brazilian waterfalls, which are included in the country's natural heritage list. In addition, at will, tourists take tours, including an excursion to the bird park and relaxation on the beaches of Flamengo and Butafogo. Some visitors prefer to celebrate the New Year in a relaxed atmosphere. In this case, the best option is to pre-book a cozy room overlooking the ocean.
