Meaning, Rituals, and New Year’s Traditions

Hello, guys! What have you been doing out there? Today we are going to discuss one of the most influential figures from the Brazilian Candomblé and Umbanda religions: the Orixá Iemanjá from the Yorubá tradition. Did you know Iemanjá is one of the most famous religious figures in our country? Iemanjá is one of the main religious figures celebrated in Salvador. In Rio de Janeiro, on the other hand, Iemanjá is so famous that New Year’s Eve has a ritual just for her. So, let’s learn a little bit more about her, the story behind her legend, and also the relationship between her and New Year’s Eve! Ready to learn Portuguese online? Let’s learn today about Iemanjá and Brazil! Ah, once you feel safe, listen to our Iemanjá podcast at the end of this dica and practice even off-screen!

Who is Iemanjá?

To really understand who Iemanjá is, it helps to take a small step back in time.

With the arrival of enslaved Africans in Brazil — especially people from the Yoruba tradition — their religions, worldviews, and spiritual systems also took root in the country. One of these religions is Candomblé, which remains deeply influential in Brazilian culture today. Within Candomblé, Iemanjá is one of the most well-known and revered figures, originally coming from the Yoruba tradition.

Outside Brazil, her name may appear with different spellings, such as Yemanjá or Yemojá. Despite the variations, they all refer to the same orixá — a divine force connected to nature and human life.

According to Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, there is a supreme creative force known as Olorum, seen as the creator of the world. Rather than acting alone, Olorum is understood as working through the Orixás, spiritual entities associated with natural elements, human experiences, and different aspects of existence. Depending on the nation or tradition of Candomblé, there are around twenty-one Orixás, each with a distinct role and symbolism:

• Ogum (in the syncretism, Saint George),
• Oxum (in the syncretism, Our Lady of Conception and other variations),
• Oxalá (in the syncretism, Jesus Christ),
• Iansã (in the syncretism, Saint Barbara),
• Oxóssi (in the syncretism, Saint Sebastian),
• Xangô (in the syncretism, Saint Jerome),
• Iemanjá (in the syncretism, Our Lady of Aparecida)
• Obaluaê (in the syncretism, Saint Lazarus),
• Nanã Buruku (in the syncretism, Sant’Ana)

Iemanjá is the deity of fertility, originally associated with the sea and salt water. She protects fishermen and sailors as well as children. An immensely powerful deity, her power reaches into all aspects of femininity, and thus fertility and the family; she is usually depicted as a mermaid and is always dressed in blue or white.

In Afro-Brazilian tradition, Iemanjá is often seen as the mother of all people — even before they are born. This belief helps explain why she represents protection, care, and origin. More than a goddess of the sea, Iemanjá is understood as a spiritual mother connected to life itself, watching over families, children, and those who seek comfort and guidance.

This maternal symbolism is one of the reasons her presence feels so universal in Brazil. Even people who do not follow Candomblé often feel a deep emotional connection to Iemanjá, seeing her as a figure of welcome, protection, and unconditional care.

In Brazil, she became the most popular Orixá and has profoundly influenced popular culture, music, literature, and religion, and is worshiped through popular rituals. The influence of Iemanjá in Rio de Janeiro, for example, is so strong, that during the New Year’s party in Rio de Janeiro, there is a ritual for her. And it doesn’t really matter what your religion is: even if they don’t follow Candomblé, many Brazilians from different religions pay their respects to Iemanjá in Rio de Janeiro after midnight.

Offerings for Iemanjá

Our lady of the Oceans has a fancy taste! In candle colors, she usually prefers white, pink, or blue. For a drink, a good champagne or plum or peach syrup will do. She also loves rice pudding, manjar, melon, and white roses (she doesn’t accept flowers of any other color). Many people also offer perfumes, jewelry, and mirrors. So yes, this is quite a vain deity, perfumed and in love with roses!

As Iemanjá is big-hearted, she enjoys fancy things, but also worries about the environment. Therefore, when a perfume is offered, people pour just the liquid over the flowers and fruits in the vessel. The bottle is thrown away in a trash can, not in the sea. As for jewelry and mirrors, both are left in the yard or at the church, at the feet of the Orixás. Some people also use these objects while performing their rituals, as a way to offer them to Iemanjá.

So, if you want to participate in the Iemanjá ritual, remember that you have to be environmentally responsible to please our deity, okay?

Celebration in Salvador

The largest celebration for Iemanjá takes place in the Rio Vermelho neighborhood, in Salvador, on February 2nd each year. The Iemanjá Festival from the Yorubá tradition is the largest public religious manifestation of Candomblé in Brazil. The tradition of the procession of Iemanjá in Salvador, in the Rio Vermelho neighborhood, began in 1923. After a terrible period of scarcity in fisheries, the fishermen got together to make an offering to Iemanjá, asking her to have mercy and grant them a calm sea and lots of fish. Since then, Bahia celebrates this day every year.

The festivities start on the night of the 1st, at Casa de Iemanjá in Rio Vermelho. There, believers spend the night singing and celebrating the deity, to the sound of drums typical of religions of African origin. The believers create a big boat, where they put their gifts to Iemanjá. Close to sunrise, the believers go to the beach, where they continue singing and playing their drums, to receive the sunrise of Iemanjá in Salvador with boundless joy. The boat with offerings, made the night before, is placed in the sea by fishermen at exactly 4pm on February 2nd. Some consider that the 2nd of February is so important that it is the “New Year of Bahia”.

Celebration in Rio de Janeiro

In Rio de Janeiro, the celebration takes place twice. On January 1, as a good omen for the New Year; and officially on February 2nd. A procession of the faithful, dressed in white and blue, parades from the center of the city to Copacabana beach.  Some even enter the sea and jump over seven waves (representing the seven lines of Umbanda) to get closer to the goddess.

To honor Iemanjá, many throw flowers into the sea and also offer gifts from the shore. Some believers often cast into the sea small replicas of boats, made with statuettes of Iemanjá. They also include white food (such as sweet rice and coconut puddings). The goddess is said to reject the offering if the small boats return to shore. However, if they continue to be carried off by the sea, the offering has been accepted and Iemanjá will bless them.

Listen, Feel, and Practice: Iemanjá and Brazilian Culture Podcast

You’ve learned who Iemanjá is and why she holds such a powerful place in Brazilian culture — now it’s time to hear that devotion in real Brazilian Portuguese. In this podcast episode, we explore how Brazilians actually talk about Iemanjá, the sea, faith, gratitude, and spiritual protection, using the same expressions and cultural references you’ve just discovered in this Dica.

You’ll hear natural language connected to real moments: people preparing offerings, talking about New Year’s rituals, thanking Iemanjá for protection, and expressing hope, respect, and emotion — the kind of Portuguese you’ll encounter at the beach, during celebrations, or in everyday conversations about faith and tradition.

And if you want to take your listening skills even further, you can also tune in to our Portuguese-only podcast for full immersion. If English isn’t your native language, we also offer Spanish and French versions, so you can choose the one that best matches your level. Press play, open your ears, and let Brazilian Portuguese flow like the ocean — because understanding Iemanjá goes far beyond words when you hear her presence in real life.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about the Brazilian Candomblé religion! Did you know Brazilians and Yorubá people are linked through Iemanjá? And that you might, one day, come and study in Brazil for a year during these celebrations for Iemanjá in Brazil! We would love to guide you through Brazilian culture!
See you in our next A Dica do Dia!
A big hug from Rio & Learn.

Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Oxalá in Portuguese
Brazil and Religion
Candomblé in Brazil
St. George’s Day in Brazil