New Year's Eve in IpanemaRio de Janeiro, Brazil
A NYE party in Rio is a no-brainer, but head out to the beach for a bit of calm and to pay homage to Iemanja, the Macumba deity of the sea. As the sun sets, crowds gather at the shore to leave flowers and cast off small boats filled with offerings to the goddess, in the hope that she’ll fulfil their wishes for the coming year. But make sure the tides are in your favour – if the waves bring back your gift, it’s believed that Iemanja has rejected your wish.