Finally, on December 31, the orixá yemanjá is honored - 'Queen of the Sea' she is asked for Health and prosperity in the new year.

also known as Iyemanjá, Yemaya, Yemoja, and Iemoja, the name was born in the african language Iorubá, meaning 'mother whose children are fish' - goddess of the sea, yemanjá is the mother of all the gods in the pantheon of umbanda and other african religions.

yemanjá, originally a purely black image of the african religion Candomblé in brazil was incorporated in the Umbanda religion, with her image changing into a peaceful and beautiful white woman with long black hair, blue eyes, and open hands dropping pearls in the water, almost mermaid-like.