The Iemanjá Festival in Salvador de Bahia attracts thousands of Bahians and tourists who flock to the beaches of the Rio Vermelho on 2 February every year.

Iyemanjá, Yemanjá, Yemaya, Iemoja or Yemoja, is an African orisha whose name derives from the Yoruba expression “Yèyé omo ejá” (“Mother whose children are fish”).

She is identified in the merindilogun game by the odu ejibe and ossá, and is represented materially and immaterially in candomblé through the sacred settlement called igba yemanja.

In Brazil, the orisha Iemanjá enjoys great popularity among followers of Afro-Brazilian religions and even among members of other religions.

In Salvador, the Iemanjá Festival takes place every year on 2 February and is one of the country’s biggest celebrations in honour of Iemanjá, the “Queen of the Sea”.

• Thousands of people dressed in white take part in a procession to the main temple near the mouth of the Rio Vermelho, where they leave various offerings such as mirrors, jewellery, food, perfumes and other delicacies.

Another important festival dedicated to Iemanjá takes place on New Year’s Eve in Rio de Janeiro, when thousands of people throw offerings into the sea.

• The celebrations also include the traditional popcorn bath and the ritual of jumping the seven waves, which many practice to ask the orisha for good luck.

In Umbanda, Iemanjá is considered the deity of the sea and also the patron saint of shipwrecked people and the mother of all human heads.

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Festa de Iemanjá no Rio Vermelho02:06

Dia 2 de Fevereiro na Bahia. - Festa de Iemanjá01:36

1. The different names of Yemanjá

Iemanjá or Yemanjá, the Queen of the Sea, is revered by various names, each with its own meaning and history. Among them are Janaína, Inaê and Princesa de Aiocá. The name Aiocá evokes a kingdom of mysterious lands, symbolising happiness and freedom, and refers to nostalgia for African origins, evoking a longing for the time when people lived free in the forests.

Although the name Janaína is a less common Portuguese form, it is also associated with Iemanjá. This name originated during the period of slavery as a strategy of syncretism, allowing Africans to maintain their traditional religious practices despite the opposition of slave masters who considered such cults unacceptable.

Although the use of “janaína” has declined over time, it still resonates in various popular songs celebrating “janaína do mar” and in liturgical chants, keeping alive the link between African traditions and contemporary cultural expressions.

On 2 February 2010, for the first time, a sculpture of a black mermaid, created by the artist Washington Santana, was chosen to represent Iemanjá in the great gift of the Rio Vermelho Festival, in honour of Africa and the Afro-descendant religion.

2. Differences between Iemanjá and Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes

In Brazil, there is a syncretism between Our Lady of the Navigators, from the Catholic religion, and the orisha Iemanjá, from African mythology. Although both represent protection and devotion to the waters, they have different origins and meanings.

• Iemanjá is considered the Queen of the Sea and is worshipped by many as the mother of all the orishas. Her image is associated with fertility, protection and abundance, especially among fishing communities.
• Our Lady of the Navigators is a central figure in Catholicism, symbolising the protection of sailors and fishermen. She is invoked to ensure safety at sea and to bless fishing.

Both figures are celebrated on 2 February in a great river procession that unites believers from different traditions. One of the largest celebrations in honour of Iemanjá takes place in Porto Alegre, where the festivities merge with those of Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes.

3. The Iemanjá Festival in Rio Vermelho

The traditional Iemanjá Festival in Salvador takes place every year on Rio Vermelho beach on 2 February. On the same day, Iemanjá is worshipped on several beaches in Brazil, with offerings such as candles and flowers thrown into the sea in small handmade boats.

At the same time, the Catholic festival takes place in the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia, while the Candomblé and Umbanda terreiros hold ceremonies on the beaches, with designated areas for their rituals.

In Brazil, the version of Iemanjá portrayed by Pierre Verger represents a mother who protects her children at all costs, a mother of several children or several fish, who loves to look after children and pets.

4. The figure of Yemanjá (Yemanjá)

In the historical context of the sacred, Yemanjá (or Iémójá) is a central female figure in Candomblé, worshipped as the Queen of the Salty Waters, the Goddess of the Sea, the Great Mother of the Yoruba and the Mother of all the Orishas.

She was originally worshipped in Africa on the banks of the Ogum River. Yemanjá is the orisha of the Egbá, a Yoruba nation that settled between the regions of Ifé and Ibadan, where the Yemójá River still exists. The greeting “Odoyá! means Mother of the River.

In Brazil, Yemanjá has become known as the Lady of the Seas, perhaps because of the country’s vast oceanic expanse. It is also known as the Queen of the Lakes, the Lagoons and the Crossing of the River and the Sea.

Yemanjá is represented as a figure of a mermaid and a woman, at once warrior and mother, wife and fighter.

She is a symbol of sensuality, with her full breasts and long hair, associated with the image of a protective mother.

Yemanjá has several names which, as in the case of Oxum, are related to the different deep places(ibù) of the river.

Yemanjá is often depicted as a matron with voluminous breasts, symbolising fertile and nourishing motherhood.

The mermaid image links Yemanjá with her condition as a sexualised, feminine woman. Her long black hair and blue dress refer to her condition as a mother, pure and maternal.

In the sea, Yemanjá exercises control, alternating between moments of destruction and serenity. It offers abundance to those who depend on the sea for survival. Yemanjá provides the fishermen with the abundance and variety of food necessary for their subsistence and livelihood.

Their cult was brought to Brazil by African peoples and has been perpetuated for generations, revered by whites, blacks, mulattos, rich and poor alike. From the batuques of Rio Grande do Sul to the xangô of Pernambuco, the cult of Yemanjá was spread, structured and established, consolidating her as a great example of an Afro-Brazilian female figure.

In Candomblé, Yemanjá has her own authenticity. Yemanjá is not a mermaid, nor is she Janaina or Our Lady. She is neither white nor blonde. She is an orisha, a beautiful black African woman, a mother, a wife and a warrior.

5. when and how the yemanjá festival is celebrated

1. The beginning

According to tradition, the People’s Festival has been celebrated since 1923, when the fish supply in the Fishermen’s Village of Rio Vermelho dwindled. Desperate, the fishermen asked the Orixá for help and set out to offer a gift to Yemanjá.

What began as an initiative of a group of fishermen and their families gradually attracted the participation of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood and, later, of the city of Salvador. As a result, the festival also attracted people from other states and countries.

2. The main gift

Every year, in addition to the traditional gifts, a special gift is offered to Yemanjá and kept secret until it is offered at the end of the festival.

3. Shed and house of Yemanjá

The main gift is displayed in the shed, located between the Church of Sant’Ana and the House of Yemanjá. The shed is a wooden structure covered with coconut straw that is built every year as part of the festival. Its purpose is to house and organise the gifts in the raffles, which are on public display.

The small Casa de Yemanjá (also known as the Casa do Peso), with its blue windows and tiled façade, functions all year round as the headquarters of the Rio Vermelho fishermen. Built to meet the needs of the fishermen, its functions have been redefined by the dynamics of the festival.

On 2 February, the small fisherman’s house becomes the main stage for the Yemanjá Festival, which, together with the shore of Paciência Beach and Sant’Ana Square, forms one of the most beautiful settings in the city.

4. Flow of people

The intense flow of people invades the streets, avenues and waterfront of the Rio Vermelho neighbourhood, filling the atmosphere with devotion, drumming, offerings and much belief in Yemanjá.

The festival is known in Salvador as the festa de largo, which refers to events that take place in more open spaces. The Yemanjá Festival is concentrated in a local square, one of the central hubs of the neighbourhood, and around the Church of Sant’ana do Rio Vermelho. The structure of the neighbourhood is completely transformed by the festivities on 2 February.

Other places participate more discreetly in the celebrations, devotions and offerings to the Queen of the Sea, such as the Dique do Tororó in the city centre.

5. Organisation of the Offerings

During the festival, the flow of people delivering gifts and offerings is organised. A long queue forms for those who wish to deliver their gifts to the hut, and another for those who wish to deliver them directly to the House of Yemanjá.

The gifts are placed in traditional balaios, straw baskets decorated with the colours and objects most dear to the Orixá, and are destined for the waters of the ocean (or rivers).

Iemanjá festival in Salvador de Bahia

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