Incredibly cheerful, cheerful and sociable Brazilians are very fond of the holidays and are able to celebrate them with pleasure and scope. So, unlike Christmas, held in the family circle and the closest, the New Year in Brazil is prescribed to be celebrated outside the home, in a noisy company of friends. On the eve of this fun holiday, the bright and colorful streets of large and small Brazilian cities turn white. The reason for this is not the snow that few people saw in this sultry country, just office workers throw old stationery directly from the windows, thus symbolizing that the old working year is over. What other traditions of the New Year are in Brazil and what do they symbolize, we will tell in this article.
So hot and … summer!
Since Brazil is located in the Southern Hemisphere, December is one of the hottest summer months in it. Since November, local merchants have been selling multicolored garlands and lanterns, artificial spruce and other elements and symbols typical of the New Year traditions of different countries. Brazilians are happy to decorate their homes and offices, shop windows and streets with all this decor. In this decoration, the streets will stand right up to the famous Brazilian carnivals held in February. Given the hot tropical climate and summer, New Year's celebration in Brazil takes place on city streets and squares, as well as on beautiful beaches. A traditional New Year's costume in Brazil is any white clothing.
European-African motifs
The celebration of the new calendar year, like the Brazilian one, cannot be imagined in any other country in the world. After all, it was here that African, Native American and European beliefs, rituals, customs and traditions of the New Year of different countries were closely intertwined and merged into a single culture. The officially accepted name of this holiday is Confraternização, which means “fraternization” in Brazilian Portuguese, but among the locals its French name stuck - Reveillon. Only on the New Year's Eve, Brazilians are ready to call everyone their friend, brother or sister and want to forget and forgive all insults and quarrels.
As in most countries practicing Catholicism, there is no tradition in Brazil to receive congratulations from Santa Claus, who is called Papai Noel, on New Year's Eve in Brazil, since it is a symbol of Christmas and fulfills its mission precisely on this holiday - December 24th.
Traditions
As noted above, Brazilians consider New Year a public holiday celebrated in the company of friends. Despite this, they have their own peculiar New Year traditions. Since there are no usual and beloved chimes in this country, all the noisy and cheerful companies gathered on city streets, squares and beaches, count out the last moments aloud until the coming year. Exactly at midnight, the black sky is colored with fountains of fireworks, so celebrate the New Year in Brazil. Traditions require everyone who wants to be happy and lucky to jump seven times in the very first minutes and wish others happiness in the coming year. Also, Brazilians are sure that if on New Year's Eve make a wish and eat twelve berries of grapes, then it will certainly come true.
Rituals
This holiday is held taking into account both European and Native American traditions and customs, and African rituals that are closely intertwined and are the basis of the theatrical action that unfolds when locals celebrate the New Year in Brazil. The scenario of the celebration in African can be seen, first of all, on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. It is believed that the time when the old year is leaving, and the new one is replacing it, is optimal for communicating with the spirits and for their gratification in order to soften the attitude towards people.
The Catholic faith and African rituals are firmly entrenched in the life of Brazilians, and each of them, on the eve of the upcoming New Year, is trying to make sacrifices and appease his personal saint - the oryx and the sea lord goddess Yemanju.
What are these gods?
We will tell a little about who Iemanju and Oryx are. The fact is that the Portuguese brought to Brazil many slaves from Africa and forcibly baptized them into the Catholic faith. Bonded Africans had to abide by all the religious ordinances of the church and go to services. However, they did not want to abandon their traditional faith - candomble - and managed to preserve it. According to the ideas accepted in this religion, each person is "looked after" by a personal god or saint, called Oryx.
Legends say that the lady of the seas, Iemanju, is a beautiful woman with hair the color of moonlit paths creeping along the sea surface. She loves fun, dancing and flowers. Traditions prescribe Brazil to start the New Year with offering flowers and candles to Iemanju. Everyone who wants to bow to the sea goddess sets candles and fresh flowers on a special wooden raft-raft, and, making a wish, sends it all to the sea. The longer the candle sent to the sea burns, the greater the likelihood that the plan will come true. If the raft nails back to the shore, then the desire will need to be repeated the next year. Those who seek to get the maximum location of the African goddess decorate the raft with mirrors and put sweets and rice, soap and perfume on it. The terrible offerings to Iemanju, the mistress of sea waters, are held under ritual prayers and singing and are accompanied by special dances.
