My husband, daughters 24 & 21, and I will be spending 4 nights in Rio including New Year's Eve. We are staying at Le Meridien Copacabana (one the the first hotels in Rio to take reservations for this time period!) and know that we will be in the heart of Reveillon festivities. I've researched this board and other sources regarding places to visit while in the city but wonder if anyone out there has any recommendations for New Year's Eve and/or New Year's Day? I know that this is a very traditional celebration where there are fireworks and throngs of people on the beach, everyone wears white, transportation reservations must be made in advance if needed (I don't expect to need them for NYE) but think there must be some specific things we should know or anticipate regarding the holiday. We are so excited to be in Rio at this time and want to capture as much of the unique event as possible.

Many thanks for any insights!

You´ll be overwhelmed by the amount of people. Have fun, try and reserve a table on the beach if you don´t have a view of the fireworks from your Hotel. Try and eat early new years or be willing to pay a high price for a reservation at ANY restaurant. White, differnet than our traditional black tux and tie. Black is death here, no wonder my life changed when I came to Brazil. Other colors, yellow for money, blue for health, red for love, white of course is for a year of peace.

I was in Rio for New Years two years ago & we actually went to one of the parties they have at the Le Meridien - this may be an option for you. I believe they have 3 levels of parties (each more expensive & glamorous) - we went with the middle one & got a huge buffet, dancing all night & champagne. At midnight you have to go outside to experience the fireworks streaming down the Le Meridien - it is quite an experience!! At this party we wore all white, but were one of the few, as this party was full of foreigners and many Americans not familiar with the custom. I've heard that wearing white is more predominant in the north, such as in Salvador. Every year they do choose a "color" as Sliders mentioned, & some people wear a new pair of underwear this color. Be prepared to party all night long - it's truly amazing!! As for New years day, I remember Rio being somewhat quiet - everyone resting from the night before. But restaurants are still open. Be sure to check out Porcao Churrascaria overlooking the lagoon - it's amazing. And try a feijoada.

Thanks Sliders & Angela - This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Sliders, you mention planning to see the fireworks from our hotel or at a reserved table on the beach - when you say hotel, do you mean from our room or just on the premises? We are supposed to have an ocean view but you never know...However, I'm wondering if it is better to be on the beach to watch them, on your hotel's property where the crowd may not be as pressing, or in a room (just our family of 4 - sounds a little anticlimatic, no?). Regarding a reserved table on the beach, are you suggesting a table at a restaurant on the beach or are there rental tables set up for this purpose? Also, do you have any suggestions for where to do this close to Le Meridien? And does it get too hot to sit out all night?

Angela, you bring up the point of whether it's best to make a reservation for the 4 of us at a hotel party (will this be fun for my single daughters??) and use it as a place to come and go during the evening. Are these parties where you get a table of your own for the evening - so that if you leave for a while to be outside, you have a place to return to? Did you make your reservation while you were there? We are arriving two days before so I'd like to know if I need to contact the hotel in advance.

Thanks again - I'm already contemplating my hidden colors for the evening.

As for the fireworks - everyone went outside to see them. I would not suggest staying in your room - you won't get to see that much!! The Le Meridien itself has fireworks literally streaming down the sides of the hotel - you have to be outside to see this. And it was not too hot to be outside at night. There are thousands of people, but we jsut walked outside & then went back in.

We made reservations in October for the New Years party at the Meridien. You have a reserved table for the evening which you share with other guests (I think 8 people/table), a buffet, dancing and champagne at midnight. It reminded me somewhat of American weddings - where you have food, sit & then have dancing. You can leave & come back; I think the price was between $70-100/person. You can contact the hotel directly for info. I would research into other options too - other parties, etc. to see what else there is. The town is crazy though - it might be a good idea to have a plan - traveling around town on New Years Eve is not a good idea since there's so much traffic it can take forever. Have fun!!!

Thanks for the add'l info. I have contacted the hotel and actually got a response from the manager! He promised to forward me the hotel offerings as soon as they are firmed up. This year they expect to have four offerings so it'll be interesting to see what they come up with. The idea is appealing to me because it seems so easy but I love the thought of having a table on the beach for the entire night. Unfortunately, I may have to book a hotel offering early if there's something that sounds great. A table at the beach would probably have to be booked in person once we get there so it could be iffy.