Yemanja

On February 2 on the island of Itaparica (love the sound of that) people celebrate the Goddess Yemanja. She is one of the Orishas or Gods and Goddesses in the Yoruba religion. When Africans were forced to Brazil for slavery they brought their religion. It was practiced in secret and/or was combined with the Roman Catholic religion. Yemanja is sometimes considered to be the Virgin Mary. The celebration is both spiritual and a fun party. Women dress in white and create a parade singing to drumming with gifts on their heads that will be taken out to sea and given to Yemanja. Thank you-Ernesto Bazan