Brazil celebrates its New Year on January 1st, according to Georgian calendar. It is also known as ‘Ano Nove’ and more popularly as ‘Revillion’.
Celebrations on New Years Eve in Brazil
New Years Eve in Brazil is sizzling hot, and is meant for those who wish for nothing but pure fun. Apart from the hot parties organized on New Years Eve, the prolific view of the fireworks show at midnight is simply stunning.
Around the time of New Year, Brazil has a moderately hot weather, and therefore, people prefer to go to beaches with friends and families during the first half of the New Years Eve, and spend some time comforting there. There is a belief that lighting up candles on the sand of the beaches, throwing white flowers in the water, thanking Iemanja- The Goddess of Sea, and jumping seven waves while making wishes for the coming year, confer one with good luck, and fulfill one’s wishes.
The evening time of New Years Eve remains set aside for partying and celebrating hard. One of the prominent places to be in on New Years Eve is Copacabana, where people from all across the country and world gather to have a gala time celebrating the essence and spirit of New Year. Copacabana remains illuminated with fancy lights, crafted in very splendid way. Other than Copacabana, one will find almost every other place, street, and building in Brazil to be lit up with lights and decorations. Also, it is a part of Brazilian culture to set off firecrackers on New Years Eve, and therefore, everyone either in small, moderate, or big way ensures to have some sort of fireworks show in their neighborhood.
The Party Culture on New Years Eve in Brazil
All the clubs, pubs, party halls, and restaurants are packed with throngs of people. Other than that, numbers of musical shows, live performances, and concerts are organized in some major cities of Brazil. The hottest parties of Brazil can be found occurring in Rid de Janeiro. There is another highlighted aspect of New Years Eve, which is the New Year Brazilian carnival, in which large number of people comes in wearing colorful and fancy clothes, walk down in the procession passing through various streets, and eat, sing, cheer, dance and play music all along, while making New Year wishes to everyone. The samba dance performed during the carnival makes everyone go vibrant in their knees.
Traditions on New Years Eve In Brazil
New Years Eve in Brazil is also about following of many traditions which according to the beliefs of local people, symbolizes for positive aspects in coming year. Each of the traditions as followed is believed to hold a certain essence and an impact over its practitioner. For instance, wearing a pair of new underwear is necessary, and for deriving certain specific results, certain colors are required to be selected. A green for good health, a white for peace, a yellow for wealth, a pink for love, a red for passion, and a purple for inspiration. Other than this tradition, you will notice most of the people wearing white clothes on New Years Eve, which is done with a belief that it will confer prosperity and peace in the coming year.
There is another tradition of eating lentils, pork, and fish during New Year’s time. While eating lentils symbolizes for the arrival of abundance of wealth in one’s life in the entire coming year, and fish and pork are considered to be forward moving beings, which symbolizes for moving ahead in one’s life. With the same sense, eating birds or crabs symbolizes for moving backside in life, which is not recommended. Another tradition associated with New Years Eve in Brazil includes eating of seven grapes, and then keeping their seeds in the pocket. This symbolizes for enough money in the coming year.
While those spending their daytime of New Years Eve on beaches have already been told all they need to do. Here are some traditions for those who are away from seas or beaches. Jump with your right foot for three times, or climb up a stool, and then come back down stepping the right foot first. If you wish to get conferred with a happy love life in the coming year, make sure that your first New Year wish goes out to a person of an opposite gender, and that too with a hug.