3- Read the tradition and simplify it follow the exemple: To start the New Year off on a good note, make sure to countdown to midnight from an elevated surface. Stand on a sturdy chair, climb up onatable, or get on your husband's shoulders until midnight, and step down on the right foot- literally! (Start Off Your New Year on the Right Foot) If you are celebrating New Year's Eve at the beach along with millions of other Brazilians, jump into the ocean at midnight and jump into 7 ondas (waves) for good luck, but only if you're facing the waves head-on! For every wave, you can make one wish. One of the biggest new year's rituals in Brazil is to offer white flowers, soaps, combs, necklaces, and more to lemanjá, the deity that protects the oceans according to the Afro-Brazilian religions.