How do people celebrate
New Year around the world?
...in Brazil?
In all cities in Brazil,
we have a big party on New Year's Eve, especially in Rio de Janeiro where
people go to the beaches to watch fireworks.
We usually wear white clothes
in order to have good luck during the new year. This party used to be a
kind of religious party, but today it has become a big show for tourists
and citizens. The party's preparation begins on the morning of the 31st,
and the fireworks start at midnight. It lasts around thirty minutes, and
everybody makes wishes for the new year: money, love, health. Normally
we host more than two million people. (Angela Teixeira)
In Brazil, most New Year's
Eve customs are related to good luck or fortune. Most people wear white
clothes on New Year's Eve to bring good luck and peace for the year that
will follow. If they are in a beach city, after midnight, people go to
the beach, jump seven waves and throw flowers in the sea while making a
wish. This will bring them good luck and fortune. They say that the goddess
who protects the sea will make their wishes come true. Because of that,
some people also light candles in the sand on the beach. I think this custom
came from the mix of the African and Indian cultures that developed in
Brazil and have spread from coast to coast. (Renate Pauperio)
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