Yemanjá Parade of Boats

Take part in this very popular cultural and religious event that honors Yemanja the Umbanda water goddess and mother of all saints in Afro- Brazilian tradition.

Every year on February 2nd, people gather for a procession on foot that travels through the city center to the shore. The parade ends at Guanabara Bay where flowers are thrown onto the water and boats loaded with perfume are launched as gifts to the goddess. No admission fees are charged to witness this festival.

Dedicated to Yoruban Goddess of the Ocean, the festivities start at dawn around Red River beach with fireworks. Then hundreds of people, all dressed in white, line up outside the temporary shack erected. Inside the shack, the “main gift” is a statue made of either silver or bronze of the goddess admiring herself in a hand held mirror.

At around 4:00 p.m., all eagerly wait to witness the yearly spectacle. The fishermen's boats are filled with baskets. The “main gift” arrives and everyone can have a glimpse of it. Once the boats leave, people party with live music on the streets until dawn.

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Contact Information

Yemanjá Parade of Boats
Rua Camerino, 7 (Centro)
20080-011 Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Tel. +552122177575

http://http://www.1yearout.com/brazilevents.html