Hundreds of people gather in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate sea goddess Iemanja

(2 Feb 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 2 February 2024
1. Various of crowds holding flowers and little boats with gifts to Iemanja
2. Men holding baskets with flowers walking into the sea
3. People watching ceremony from above and taking photos
4. Woman pouring beverage from a bottle into the water
5. Various of people caring a bigger boat loaded with flowers into the sea
6. Woman launching a little boat with flowers in the sea
7. Women throwing flowers in the water
8. Woman standing on a rock and throwing flowers in the sea
9. Woman walking on the beach and throwing flowers in the sea
10. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Alice de Assis, Afro-Brazilian religion priestess:
”Many come here to make requests but others come to thank her (Iemanja) for what they achieved last year, things they achieved in their lives. Many people come to ask for a job or a better life and for love too.”
11. Woman holding a baby girl throwing flowers in the sea
12. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Wilian Vorhees, organizer of the Iemanjá ceremony in Ipanema:
“The objective of this party was always to add, add more people. The word is gathering – we want more people from all over the world and soon we will have people here from all over the world.”
13. Pan from people in the water holding gifts to Iemanja to people at the beach
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of people gathered at Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the goddess of the sea, Iemanja.

Lemanja, is one of the most popular deities of the African root religions.

The goddess is honored in rituals at different times of the year. But, on the 2nd of February, the faithful from all over the country gather by the seaside to celebrate her official day.

Dressed in white they offer gifts to Iemanja on little boats loaded with flowers, jewelry and perfume that they launch in the sea.

Iemanja is the goddess or queen of the sea and the protector of sailors and fishermen but with its growing popularity, especially among women, she has also become the patron saint of love and an archetype of motherhood.

The gifts to the goddess are to thank her for blessings but also to guarantee Iemanja’s favor to new requests.

Santeria priestess Alice Assis explained that many people come to the ceremony to ask for things “a job or a better life” but many more come to thank Iemanja for what they have achieved in their lives in the past year.

Willian Vohees has been the organizer of the ceremony for the last 23 years and he has big ambitions “We want to gather more people and have people from all over the world come here,” said Vohees.

The African Brazilian religions evolved from the religion of Yuruba slaves brought to Brazil in the 18th and 19th centuries and syncretism with the Catholic religion of the Portuguese colonizers.

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