Crowds traditionally celebrate New Year's Eve in white clothing at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The beach's Réveillon celebration is one of Brazil's largest public New Year's events, combining concerts, ritual offerings and a major fireworks display over the Atlantic Ocean.
White clothing is associated with peace and is also connected to Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, especially practices honoring Iemanjá, a sea-associated orixá. Many participants go to the shore to make offerings or cast flowers into the water, though the exact customs vary among individuals and religious communities.
The celebration is sometimes described as taking place simply in “Rio,” but Copacabana is the specific beach most closely linked with the famous mass gathering. Fireworks are launched from barges offshore, allowing spectators along the curved beach to watch the display. The event is commonly called Réveillon in Brazil.