The festival of Iemanjá is a very spectacular and fascinating celebration. Iemanjá is the Goddess of Sea and Water in the Candomble and Umbanda religions. She is also the goddess of carnal pleasures and protector of mothers and wives. The day before and on New Year's Eve believers gather on the beach to honour and thank the Goddess and maybe to ask for good luck in the new year too. They smoke pipes, sing, dance, and fall into a trance while putting flowers into the sea together with some offerings and candles on little wooden boats. The offerings may vary: some put rice, others put perfumes or even cosmetics. Other enthusiastic locals, not depending on what they believe, usually join Iemanjá's followers. It's a truly extraordinary spectacle.