on new year's eve in rio de janeiro, everyone is dressed in white - and black is never used. the young and the old, the rich and the poor, city slickers, country bumpkins and all in between, everyone is dressed in white. the color white is a common signifier of purity, sincerity and truth and is easily associated with the new year, but the prevalence of the tradition in the marvelous city bears noticing. the tradition of wearing white for the new year can be traced back to the african slaves that once populated rio de janeiro. in the spiritual traditions brought with them from their native west africa, white symbolizes peace and purification.
