Devotees gathered at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach to welcome the New Year with a powerful tribute to Yemanjá, the revered Afro-Brazilian sea goddess. Dressed in white, worshippers carried her statue to the shoreline, releasing flowers, offerings, and small boats into the ocean as drums and traditional rhythms filled the air. A priestess noted that the ritual draws not only formal followers of Candomblé and Umbanda, but also everyday believers who come in quiet faith, turning Copacabana into a sacred sanctuary of gratitude, hope, and renewal.
