NEW YEAR IN BRAZIL

 The second biggest party in Rio de Janeiro - just behind Carnival - is New Year's Eve, also locally called "Reveillon", which takes place along Copacabana beach. There is no cost for the beach celebration, and more than 2.5 million tourists and cariocas come each year to the legendary New Year's celebration and take part in one of the biggest and best parties in the world. Attendees begin to arrive at Copacabana beach early to ensure their space, before midnight about 3 million people are on the beach marveling at the fireworks show.

There are dozens of restaurants very close to Copacabana beach - or in the neighboring areas of Ipanema and Leblon, with exclusive "fixed price" menus, to enjoy the New Year celebrations. The avenue facing the sea - called Avenida Atlántica - is closed to traffic during the holidays, so you can choose from where you can witness the show - the beach, the avenue, or the terrace of a restaurant by the sea. The party in Copacabana is an experience that all cariocas have experienced and that they celebrate with their friends and entire families, so you will find people of all ages and from all walks of life, rich and poor, babies and the elderly, transvestites, gays and lesbians; foreigners and brazilians.

As night begins to fall, at 8 pm, live music begins to play on the beach. You will enjoy several stages located along the beach with various local musical groups playing the famous Brazilian samba and even international rock and pop stars, who put all the spectators in the mood for the arrival of the new year.

new year in brazil by Jeniffer Cruz Maqueda