There are many places that make the claim to be the “Biggest Party on the Planet” But if you go by sheer numbers as you should, Copacabana Beach on New Years Eve holds the record, year after year. There is an incredible turnout since it is summer in the southern hemisphere, and Rio de Janeiro is one of the hottest places to be during this time. You cannot believe the number of people in the city of Rio during this time of year. Everyone wants to be on the beach on New Year’s Eve. In the afternoon, the native women from Bahia hold court on the beach and build extravagant altars of flowers and stones, dedicated to the goddess “Yemanja” the goddess of the sea. People go there and take flowers and offerings to throw into the ocean, believing the goddess will grant them a safe and prosperous year ahead. Many people stand in line and receive “passas” where one of the priestesses from the northern state of Bahia will cleanse their auras of impurities. Later on, the shore begins to fill with people, mostly dressed in white, as a show of purity, so that the new year may be started clean. It is truly a spectacle, very interesting and exciting, and yes, the biggest party on the planet since over two million people go there to experience it.