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The Beautiful, Unusual Way Brazil Rings In The New Year

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From Carnival to the World Cup, Brazil has a reputation for going big on celebrations — and New Year's Eve is no exception. Known as Réveillon, Brazilians and tourists alike gather on the country's beautiful beaches to bid farewell to the year gone by and celebrate new beginnings. Some two million people gather on Rio's famous Copacabana Beach alone, dancing to live music and fireworks well into the early hours of the morning.

But for many Brazilians, an important part of the New Year's celebration has its roots in Candomblé, the Afro-Brazilian religion brought to the country by slaves from West Africa. Descended in part from the Yoruba religion, Candomblé devotees believe that gods and goddesses known as orixas have dominion over both nature and human beings. The end of the year is also devoted to celebrating one of the most important goddesses.

Yemanja is goddess of not only the sea, but all waters that run to it; she is also the goddess of motherhood, education, and physical and mental health, according to Maria Manuela, a devotee who runs the Candomblé: World of Orixas blog.

During the Festival of Yemanja, people honor the goddess by wearing her colors — white, silver, and blue — and bringing flowers and other offerings to the beach for her. Some even carry a statue of her to place near the water. Finally, people send their prayers and desires out on little boats, asking Yemanja to help make them a reality in the New Year. Some people believe that if the boats travel out with the current, the goddess is pleased and their prayers will be answered. If the boats return, however, it means a devotee's petition as been rejected.

Ahead, gorgeous images that capture the beautiful Festival of Yemanja and Réveillon.

Photo caption: A young girl brings white flowers as an offering to Yemanja as part of traditional New Year's celebrations on the sands of Copacabana beach on December 28, 2013, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Captions also provided by Getty Images.

Devotees salute Yemanja, Goddess of the Sea, during a ceremony as part of traditional New Year's celebrations on the sands of Copacabana beach in 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Photo: Buda Mendes/LatinContent/Getty Images

The faithful process to the beach with a statue of Yemanja in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro. Devotees traditionally mark the day dressed in white while carrying a statue of Yemanja to the beach while tossing flowers and other offerings into the sea.

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The faithful gather with offerings at a ceremony honoring Yemanja in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro.

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

A woman prays to Goddess of the Sea Yemanja at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 31, 2013.

Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images

A reveler tosses flowers into the ocean as traditional offerings to the Brazilian sea goddess, Yemanja, during New Year's Eve festivities in 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Offerings remain on the sand during a ceremony honoring Yemanja in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. Elements of Christianity were often incorporated into Afro-Brazilian religions.

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

People gather for a ceremony honoring Yemanja, Goddess of the Sea, as part of traditional New Year's celebrations on the sands of Copacabana beach in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro.

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Aside from the Festival of Yemanja, Brazilians hold huge New Year's Eve celebrations. One of the largest New Year's Eve parties in the world is held right on Copacabana Beach. New Year's is the second biggest celebration in Rio, second only to Carnival, and brings travelers and c ariocas (Rio natives) alike down to the shore.

Photo: Konrad Fiedler/Getty Images

Brazilians celebrate at the annual New Year's Eve beach party on December 31, 2011 for the Copacabana Réveillon in Rio De Janeiro.

Photo: Konrad Fiedler/Getty Images

Brazilian musicians and groups from all over the world provide partygoers with music all night long. Brazilians rang in 2012 with performances lasting through 3 a.m.

Photo: Konrad Fiedler/Getty Images

Fireworks light up the sky across the two-and-a-half-mile long Copacabana Beach in Rio. More than two million people celebrate New Year's Eve on the beach each year.

Photo: Dircinha Welter/Getty Images

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