Yemonja Festival: Brazil Celebrates Goddess Of The Sea In Salvador
Thousands of Brazilians flooded beaches around the northeastern city of Salvador to pay tribute to the sea goddess Yemanja and ask for her protection ahead of Carnival celebrations.
Even before dawn broke, devotees dressed in white and blue clothing brought offerings to the Praia Rio Vermelha, or Red River Beach, and then later to nearby Itaparica Island. They paraded toward the sea with baskets filled with red, white and yellow roses and other gifts, including ornately dressed dolls, mirrors, perfume and bottles of Champagne. Some carried fishing nets and images of the goddess who is depicted in blue flowing robes.
The baskets were loaded onto boats so fishermen could “deliver” the gifts to Yemanja, a goddess in the Afro-Brazilian Candomble faith. Candomble was developed by Brazil’s slave populations, who associated the Yoruba gods of their native West Africa with the Roman Catholic saints they encountered in the New World.
“Yemanja is important to all who make a living from fishing ” – Says Iya Anita
“She is our mother , the one who governs these waters “ – Says Iya Tassia
Followers of Candomble prepare for the festival days before, with a series of rituals, including animal sacrifices to deities. But non-believers also participate in the festival, throwing roses into the sea.
The celebration of Yemanja in Salvador is considered the unofficial beginning of Carnival in Bahia state.
“It’s a tradition in our family to bring gifts to the sea to thank Yemanja and ask for protection,” said Antonio de Oliveira, a 42-year-old fisherman.
A warm and calming lavender scent filled the House of Iemanjá in Rio Vermelho, a neighborhood in the northern Brazilian city of Salvador. The orisha (a deity in Yoruba faith) is one of the most popular figures in Brazil. She’s frequently characterized as “the mother whose children are fish” and is often depicted in the form of a beautiful, plus-size black woman.
Yemonja Day is the biggest Afro-Brazilian celebration in Brazil. It is traditionally celebrated on February 2 in Rio Vermelho. The feast unites Catholics, tourists, and members of Candomblé and Umbanda, two Afro-Brazilian religions. It occurs simultaneously with the holy day of Our Lady of Navigators, a devotional title for the Virgin Mary, to whom Portuguese seafarers would pray for a safe return home.
As such, Yemonja Day is a syncretism that unites Christianity with African religions. Participants honor the queen of the sea with offerings of flowers, costume jewelry, food, and vials of perfume, all of which are displayed along the neighborhood’s beaches. Onlookers also throw wishful coins, representing offerings and gratitude towards the protective but severe deity.
At exactly 6.am , today February 2, the beach in Rio Vermelho was already full of people bearing flowers and baskets full of offerings. The line of faithful believers waiting for a blessing curved through the streets. Images of Iemanjá and Catholic depictions of her were everywhere to be seen, along with rue branches, assorted grains, and other items used by the Afro-Brazilian religious leaders as they said “Axé” to passersby, a greeting that conveys positive energy to faithful believers.
On the shore, worshippers gathered in circles to sing and dance, and a seemingly endless crowd threw offerings into the sea. I watched two women say goodbye to a little boat that floated away, bearing a picture of Iemanjá. They clapped their hands and sang respectfully, gratefully, and devoutly.
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