Réveillon is the New Year’s Eve celebration in Brazil, especially famous for Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach.
The word refers broadly to the New Year festivities, while Rio’s event is particularly known for large crowds, concerts, fireworks, and people dressed in white gathering along the beach. The celebration blends public entertainment with family customs and religious or spiritual practices.
Many participants make offerings to Iemanjá, a revered figure associated with the sea in Afro-Brazilian religious traditions. Others jump seven waves, making wishes with each leap, or wear white as a symbol of peace. These practices vary by person and community rather than forming a single required ceremony.
Rio’s fireworks are launched offshore from barges so that people along the coastline can see the display. Copacabana’s celebration has become one of the world’s best-known New Year gatherings, but Réveillon is celebrated throughout Brazil, with local traditions differing from city to city.