Things Brazilians Do On New Year's

Brazilians do almost everything to be at a beach - any beach - on New Year's Eve. That means driving sometimes 8 hours to cover a 50-km journey. Finally there, there are superstitions to be followed and even your underwear must stick to the rules!

Photo: Eduardo Anizelli/Folhapress / Via fotografia.folha.uol.com.br

Don't let the traffic jams scare you. That's the mantra Brazilians repeat to themselves every single year.

Photo: Fábio Rossi/Agência O Globo / Via oglobo.globo.com

Once at the beach, everything is forgotten or forgiven: the eight hours spent on the road, the price of the beer, the overcrowded beach...

Photo: Antonio Lacerda/Efe / Via estadao.com.br

No matter your religion, you must offer a prayer to Iemanjá. The goddess is an entity of the Candomblé religion born in times of slavery. So, if you see a group of people lighting candles on the beach, that's your prayer spot.

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To be dressed in white is imperative. And the clothes must be new. Every shop window you look at reminds you of this superstition that became almost a rule.

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You even have flip flops to match the white clothes and the fireworks. Brazilians like to buy the original Havaianas, the country's second best product after Gisele.

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The color of your underwear determines what you want in the New Year. Money? Wear yellow. Peace? White. Love? Pink. Hope? Green. To be healthy? Blue. Passion and a lot of sex? Red.

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Men follow the same underwear rules. They just don't admit.

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All dressed up for the New Year by the beach, now it is time to buy flowers. There are many street vendors selling them. Why? Because Iemanjá loves flowers. So we throw them at the sea. Done that, jump seven waves to make sure New Year will be awesome.

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Can I just relax now and watch the fireworks? Not yet. First eat 12 grapes to bring luck for every single month of the New Year. Carry three seeds of pomegranate in the wallet to make sure you will have a lot of money. Don't eat anything that walks backwards. The list goes on and on and on.

Photo: Camilla Maia/Agência O Globo / Via g1.globo.com

Now that you know all that, make sure you watch the New Year's fireworks in Rio. It is one of those things everyone should do before it is too late.