Lemanjá Festival

Every February 2, Uruguayans who practice the Afro-Brazilian religion known as Candomblé gather at various beaches across the country to honor Iemanjá, the goddess of the sea. Lemanjá is one of the religion's main orishas, or divine deities, and her special day brings together thousands of followers and curious onlookers in dance, music, and other festivities. As people venture into the sea, it is common to see spiritual leaders blessing their followers and performing rituals and movements that appear physically exhausting. Flowers, food, and scents are among the offerings, which are delivered to the sea in a small paper boat.

During the ritual, the participants usually sit and wait until sunset, then push the boat into the sea and walk to the shallow sea to make offerings in the form of gifts that have been prepared ahead of time. Participants are all dressed in white. After making their offerings, they return to the beach and begin dancing around the ritual site before bowing down on the sand directly in front of the ritual site as a form of respect to the Sea goddess.

Lemanjá Festival is known as one of the most famous festivals in Uruguay, so the festival brings together great artists as well as thousands of participants. Come to Uruguay for this special festival.

Location: Montevideo