New Year's Eve in Copacabana or Réveillon in Cobacabana is the largest New Year's celebration in the world, taking place from

December 31 It is known by a collection of names including: Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year's Eve or Old Year's Day/Night, as the following day is New Year's Day. It is the last day of the year; the following day is January 1, the first day of the followi ...

January 1 January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in the Gregorian Calendar; 364 days remain until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the year. __TOC__ Events ...

Copacabana Beach Copacabana ( , , ) is a Brazilian (neighbourhood) located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is most prominently known for its 4 km (2.5 miles) balneario beach, which is one of the most famous in ...

, located in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

. The event features a

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

display lasting around 12 minutes, along with performances by various artists, currently attracting around two million people. The word ''

réveillon A ''réveillon'' () is a long dinner held in the evening preceding Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Its name descends from the word ''réveil'' (meaning "waking"), because participation involves staying awake until morning, as the meal finishes. ...

'' originates from the French verb ''réveiller'', which means "to wake up." Thus, ''réveillon'' symbolizes the awakening of the new year.

History

Those who began celebrating New Year's Eve on Copacabana Beach were ''

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West and Central Africa, especi ...

'' practitioners in the 1970s. The event was smaller in scale, and everyone wore white to honor '' Iemanjá'', offering gifts to the sea before

midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...

. The practice of wearing white clothing and offering flowers to the sea became part of the New Year's tradition, not only in Rio de Janeiro but throughout

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. According to ''Candomblé'', the color white is used to symbolize mourning for death, which allows for rebirth and the continuation of life.

1980s

The tradition of fireworks during New Year's in Copacabana was started by Mario, the owner of the former By Marius steakhouse, in 1978. He gathered local merchants from Leme to raise funds for the fireworks display. In the 1980s, the former Meridien Hotel (located at the corner of Princess Isabel Avenue) introduced its iconic firework waterfall, which marked the end of the display. The 39-story building featured a cascade of fireworks that began at the top and gradually descended down the skyscraper. 657105w

Thus, other

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

s began to fund the fireworks display, attracting both

tourists Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and locals. As the event grew, the city of Rio de Janeiro had to prioritize the safety of those attending the New Year's celebration in Copacabana. Following a serious accident on the

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

, the fireworks were moved to barges out at sea. To prevent crowding after the fireworks show, the city began organizing beach concerts in 1993, ensuring people wouldn't all leave at once. Performances by

Jorge Ben Jorge Duílio Lima Menezes (born March 22, 1939) is a Brazilian popular musician, performing under the stage name Jorge Ben Jor since the 1980s, though commonly known by his former stage name Jorge Ben (). Performing in a samba style that also ...

and

Tim Maia Sebastião "Tim" Rodrigues Maia (; 28 September 1942 – 15 March 1998) was a Brazilian musician, songwriter, and businessman known for his iconoclastic, ironic, outspoken, and humorous musical style. Maia contributed to Brazilian music withi ...

helped ease the flow of the crowd. Following this highly successful experience of New Year's Eve concerts, the city government registered the event as official, bringing various attractions to the Copacabana stages every year.

Record

In 1993,

Jorge Ben Jor Jorge Duílio Lima Menezes (born March 22, 1939) is a Brazilian popular musician, performing under the stage name Jorge Ben Jor since the 1980s, though commonly known by his former stage name Jorge Ben (). Performing in a samba style that also ...

attracted the third-largest audience in history, according to the Guinness World of Records, with 3 million people in Copacabana. In 1994,

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

singer

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...

held the largest free concert in history, recorded in the Guinness World of Records, with an audience of 3.5 million people.

Attractions

Numbers

Starting in the new millennium, the traditional fireworks display began to be held on barges away from the beach to avoid accidents. In total, 24 tons of fireworks are set off from 11 barges, creating a 16-minute pyrotechnic show. Tourists spend around 650 million dollars in the city every year during the period. Currently, there are three stages with various attractions throughout the night. About 500 portable toilets are set up, and by the end of the celebration, 360 tons of trash are collected.

References

{{reflist Public holidays in Brazil Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro New Year celebrations