Festa de Iemanjá - New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro

The Goddess of the Sea and Mother of the Waters is worshipped on New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro and on August 15 in Salvador. The homage, the Festa de Iemanjá , is to Iemanjá, the Goddess of the Water, the mother of all the gods in the Umbanda religion of Brazil. She is offered flowers, gifts, perfume and rice which are set into little boats and cast adrift into the sea, or else tossed directly into the water.

Read more: Brazilians Launch Hopes for 2004 with Sea Offerings , from Reuters.