while everyone's attention is focused on the upcoming new year's eve celebration, believers congregate on flamengo, leme, copacabana, ipanema, and leblon beach to worship iemanjá, the goddess of the sea.

yemanjá is offered flowers, gifts, perfume, rice, and even champagne - the offerings are set into little rafts and cast adrift into the sea, or thrown directly into the waves.

those who have not built boats will leave their offerings on the beach close to the water, and those who cannot reach the ocean will tuck occasionally extravagant offerings into holes in sand or rock alongside the water.