Gin, Bananas, and a Pachyderm Party
South America is well known for its strong Catholic heritage, but on February 2, one of the continent’s more obscure religions has its special day. The Umbanda religion, practiced in Brazil and neighboring Uruguay, fuses Catholic traditions with the beliefs of native Africans brought over as slaves in the 1800s. One of those beliefs is in Yemanjá, the Queen of the Sea and patron saint of fishermen. And on February 2, locals of Montevideo gather on the beach at Playa Ramírez to celebrate Yemanjá Day. After sundown the festivities begin in earnest. Worshippers in full-white dresses dance and twirl on the sand to a rapid drumbeat, before offerings of flowers and perfume are put in small boats and set sail.