Many people wear white for New Year's Eve celebrations on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazilian Réveillon celebrations are especially famous for the huge gathering on Copacabana Beach. White clothing is associated with peace and renewal, and the color is also connected with Afro-Brazilian religious traditions in which white garments have ceremonial importance.
At midnight, crowds commonly watch fireworks launched over the Atlantic Ocean. Some participants make offerings to Iemanjá, a figure honored in Brazilian religious traditions, and flowers may be placed in the sea. Practices vary by person, region, and religious background.
White is a strong tradition rather than an absolute rule. Other colors may be chosen for symbolic wishes such as love, money, health, or luck. The beach celebration is therefore both a large public spectacle and a collection of personal rituals for welcoming the year.