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When Brazil becomes more than a Travel Destination

Celebrating New Year in Brazil

By BRADESTINO
Publish Date: January 18, 2024 Last Update: January 19, 2024

How do Brazilians celebrate New Year?

New Year in Brazil

New Year Rio | © Adobe Stock


FACT - Did you know?

New Year's Eve, known locally as "Réveillon" is a significant celebration in Brazil, and Brazilians often mark the occasion with vibrant and lively festivities.

Here's how Brazilians typically celebrate New Year:

1. Beach Celebrations:

Many Brazilians head to the beaches to celebrate New Year's Eve. Iconic beaches like Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro host massive gatherings with live music, fireworks, and a festive atmosphere.

2. White Clothing Tradition:

It's a common tradition for Brazilians to wear white clothing on New Year's Eve. White is believed to bring peace, luck, and purity for the upcoming year.

3. Fireworks Displays:

Fireworks are a central part of the New Year celebrations in Brazil. Cities and towns host spectacular fireworks displays at midnight to welcome the new year.

4. Live Music and Concerts:

Many cities organize open−air concerts and live music performances on New Year's Eve. These events feature a variety of music genres and are attended by large crowds.

5. Traditional Foods:

Brazilians often celebrate with special New Year's Eve meals. Traditional foods include lentils, which are believed to bring prosperity, and grapes, where each grape symbolizes a wish for the upcoming year.

6. Religious Celebrations:

Some Brazilians participate in religious ceremonies and rituals to welcome the new year. This may include attending church services, making offerings, and seeking blessings for the year ahead.

7. New Year's Eve Parties:

Private and public parties are widespread on New Year's Eve. Families and friends gather to celebrate, share meals, dance, and countdown to midnight together.

8. Cultural Traditions:

Different regions of Brazil may have unique cultural traditions and customs associated with New Year's Eve. For example, in Bahia, people often celebrate with music and dance influenced by Afro−Brazilian traditions.

9. Jumping Seven Waves:

In coastal areas, there's a superstition that jumping seven waves at midnight brings good luck. Each wave represents a wish for the new year.

10. Making Resolutions:

Like in many cultures, making New Year's resolutions is a common practice. Brazilians reflect on the past year and set goals for self−improvement and personal growth.

11. Midnight Toast:

When the clock strikes midnight, it's customary for people to toast with champagne or other beverages, exchanging good wishes for the new year.

Overall, New Year's Eve in Brazil is a festive and joyous occasion filled with music, colors, and a sense of optimism for the future. It's a time for people to come together, celebrate, and welcome the possibilities of the coming year.

Rio de Janeiro is considered one of the Best New Year's Eve Destinations in the World.

Rio de Janeiro is a popular New Year's Destination thanks to it's incredible beaches and being in the Brazilian summer period. But the main attraction is the festive Cariocas, warm and friendly people of Rio, who are always in for a great party and who are happy to welcome the thousands of tourists. Rio New Year's celebration is the place to be and you will have the time of your life!

If you are looking to party during New Year's Eve in an upscale event it is important to buy tickets upfront. There are plenty of options in the Marvelous City to enjoy New Year's Eve with an 'all inclusive' program including food and drinks while enjoying national and international attractions (12 stages spread across the city) ranging from Anitta to David Guetta, as well as popular shows with the presence of Diogo Nogueira and the batteries at Portela and Estação Primeira de Mangueira. The Copacabana Palace has the most elegant New Year's Eve party in Rio. Its privileged location, right in the heart of the action, and its luxury status made it extremely disputed amongst the rich and famous. From the hotel's iconic balcony you have an incredible view on the crowds celebrating the arrival of the New Year. It is here where the party takes place.

The main attraction is the fireworks on Copacabana Beach. Copacabana beach is undoubtedly the best place to watch the fireworks festival. The sky and sea are painted in exquisite colors as the fireworks go off. It's hard to decide which direction to look at with fireworks popping all around you. The view of Copacabana Beach from above is really impressive. Over 2 million people take every inch of space on the beach, sidewalks and the avenue. At midnight, with the turning of the year, the fireworks festival begins, lasting for about 15 to 20 minutes. Spectators on the beach, in buildings along the Copacabana ocean avenue and onboard of the giant cruise ships, have different points of view of the spectacle, but share the same exciting atmosphere and cheerful spirit that only Rio knows how to provide.

"Réveillon" in Brazil is the largest festival of color and culture while it combines traditional rituals with modern festivities and brings people together in a celebration of hope and renewal. From wearing white clothes to offering gifts to the sea, each tradition adds a unique dimension to this special evening. The tradition of wearing white clothes on New Year's Eve in Brazil is rooted in the country's cultural and religious practices. The color white is associated with peace, purity, and renewal, making it a popular choice for celebrating the beginning of a new year. Many Brazilians believe that wearing white on New Year's Eve brings good luck and symbolizes a fresh start. Additionally, some people also believe that wearing white can help attract positive energies and ward off negative influences as they welcome the new year.

To celebrate the last minutes of 2023 and welcome the arrival of 2024, the fireworks show was led, for the first time, by a live symphony orchestra, on the Copacabana Stage. Are you ready for 2024? Feliz Ano Novo 2024.

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