Jumping 7 waves on New Year’s Eve – an old Brazilian tradition on New Year’s Eve

Whether in the Eastern or Western part of the world, when the New Year is coming, people celebrate it with great enthusiasm.

New Year’s Eve is often a rather superstitious time when people of different cultures and nationalities practice traditions passed down from generation to generation, with the aim of bringing good luck for the coming year.

In Brazil, a tradition that cannot fail to be carried out by those who are going to spend New Year’s Eve on the beach is the famous friendliness of jump 7 waves in the New Year. After all, nobody wants to start the year off on the wrong foot, right? Learn more about this tradition.

What does it mean to skip 7 waves on New Year’s?

Here in Brazil, people are usually quite superstitious and perform various sympathies that have become a tradition at the turn of the year, among them:

On the other hand, those who spend the New Year on the beach, when the stroke of midnight starts, run to the sea to jump the waves. But how many waves to jump in the New Year? You must jump 7 waves!

This tradition has roots in Umbanda and its original purpose is to honor Iemanjá.

Who is Yemanja?

Iemanjá is a female orixá, considered by many to be the Queen of the Sea. It receives different names, such as Inaé, Isis, Maria, Mucunã, Princesa do Mar and Dandalunda.

According to tradition, the person who jumps 7 waves in the New Year will receive purification and strength from Yemanja to overcome the obstacles he will have to face next year.

But you must be wondering “Why skip exactly 7 waves?” Seven is considered a very spiritual number and represents Exu, son of Iemanjá.

In addition, Umbanda understands the number 7 as the 7 senses of life or the 7 qualities of God that are represented by 7 Orixás: Oxalá, Oxum, Oxóssi, Xangô, Ogun, Obaluaiê and Iemanjá.

Therefore, when you jump the 7 waves in the sea, you invoke the powers of Iemanjá to open paths for the next year.

Why skip 7 waves on New Year’s?

In addition to getting Iemanjá’s protection and strength by jumping the 7 waves in the New Year, you can place orders. With each wave you jump, you can think of a wish for the next year. You can be sure that Yemanjá will give you that stray to accomplish them.

After doing the 7 jumps, get out of the water admiring the ocean. Do not turn your back to the sea, as it can bring bad luck.

In the video below, ‘s therapist and medium, Solange, explains better why jumping 7 waves in the New Year and gives other ritual tips for New Year’s Eve.

Enhancing the ritual

When entering the sea, you are in the arms of Iemanjá. When you skip the 7 waves on New Year’s, you’re honoring this mother. One way to make this ritual more powerful is to perform the following prayers:

1st wave – Father I hope, I salute you and thank you for the magnetization of Faith that keeps my spirituality and religiosity active in this incarnation;

2nd wave – Mother Oxum, I greet you and thank you for feeling love in my heart, for family and friends;

3rd wave – Father Ochosi, I salute you and revere your expanding light in my consciousness that does not accept limitations and keeps me active in the constant hunt for my intellectual, rational and consciential growth;

4th wave – Father Xangô, I salute you and bow to your light of Justice and balance in my actions;

5th wave – Father Ogun, I salute you and evoke the righteousness that keeps my walk ordered in the right direction;

6th wave – Father Obaluayê, I salute you, silence and thank you for the health of my body;

7th wave – Mother Yemanjá, Divine Queen, I salute you, bow and thank you for life.

Take a gift to Iemanjá

Since you will be honoring Iemanjá by jumping 7 waves in the New Year, how about also giving her a gift and ensuring good luck for the next year?

There are several ways to gift the orixá. You can give her white flowers by throwing them into the sea. You can also light white or blue candles for the orixá.

Because she is vain, the orixá will also be happy if she receives perfume. Pour some perfume into the sea at the turn of the year and offer it to the orixá.

Are you having a champagne toast? Don’t forget to offer a glass to Iemanjá.

But remember to only pour the liquids into the sea. Packaging and glass should be thrown in the trash so as not to pollute the ocean.

And speaking of orixá, do you know which one represents you? Do the test!