walking along the beaches of rio, amongst the revelers in tiny swimwear and under the lights of one of the largest fireworks displays in the world, travelers will bear witness to the devotion of millions to the festa de yemanjá.

goddess of the water, yemanjá is the mother of all the gods in the pantheons of umbanda and candomblé - she is characterized by her believers as enormously powerful, and as the possessor of the secrets of the ocean depths. 

the popular belief and reverence for yemanjá comes from the traditions of african slaves brought to brazil by european colonialists, but over the years, people of all faiths and creeds have come to follow the tradition of honoring her at midnight on new year's eve.