Festa da Iemanjá 2024-2025 in Rio de Janeiro

The Festival of Iemanjá is a colorful and heartfelt celebration honoring Iemanjá, the goddess of the sea in the Candomblé and Umbanda religions. Known as the mother of all waters and protector of women, Iemanjá represents love, motherhood, and prosperity. Each year on December 31 and February 2, crowds gather along beaches across Brazil, especially in Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, to present offerings to Iemanjá. These tributes include flowers, perfumes, candles, and small boats filled with gifts, all meant to express gratitude and seek her blessings for protection, love, and good fortune in the coming year.

Traditional Celebrations

Each year, followers of Iemanjá, the revered sea goddess, gather on beaches to release offerings into the ocean, seeking her blessings for protection and prosperity. These offerings—ranging from flowers and rice to perfumes and cosmetics—are arranged in small wooden boats and sent adrift in the hopes of attracting good fortune for the new year. The event is rich with tradition as worshippers sing, dance, smoke pipes, and enter trances, creating a captivating atmosphere of devotion. People of all backgrounds often join, adding to the sense of community and celebration while underscoring Iemanjá’s enduring cultural influence in Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro Events

The Iemanjá Festival in Rio de Janeiro is a lively, city-wide event with rituals across neighborhoods and religious centers, or terreiros. The timing varies by tradition: Candomblé honors Iemanjá on February 2, Umbanda on August 15, and New Year’s Eve on December 31, when the largest crowds gather. Celebrants jump over seven waves, light candles, and place white flowers in boats, releasing them into the sea as offerings to Iemanjá to honor the goddess and welcome the new year.

Other Locations

In Salvador, Bahia's capital, the Iemanjá Festival is one of the year's most cherished celebrations, drawing vast crowds of devotees and admirers to Rio Vermelho's beaches. Festivities begin the night before, on February 1, at Casa de Iemanjá on Rua da Paciência. Early on February 2, the official celebration kicks off around 4:45 am with fireworks. The highlight occurs at 4 pm, when local fishermen lead a boat procession to the sea, delivering offerings to the goddess Iemanjá in a symbolic tribute.