history of santeria in cuba

Santería has faced much opposition and criticism through its history. Santeria is a fusion of Catholic practices and African folk beliefs. In 1993 the U.S. The subsequent Socialist state (1959–) discouraged any reli-gious expression until the 1990s. It is an oral tradition. Christian views of the religion have been largely negative,Afro-Cuban religion of Yoruba origin that developed in Cuba"Santeria" redirects here. "There is no central authority in control of Santería.Although Santería is the best known of the Afro-Cuban religions,Santería has commonalities with other West African and West African-derived traditions in the Americas which collectively form the "Orisha religion";Within the religion there is a range of vocabulary to indicate the level of involvement someone has,Santería teaches the existence of an overarching divinity, known as Olodumare, Olofl, or Olorun,There are various origin myths and other stories about the oricha, known as Among the oricha are the four "warrior deities", or The oricha are often conflated with particular Roman Catholic saints based on similar attributes between the two.Practitioners argue that each person is "born to" a particular oricha, whether or not they decide to devote themselves to that deity.To ensure the protection of a particular oricha, practitioners are encouraged to make offerings to them, sponsor ceremonies in their honor, and live in accordance with their wishes, as determined through divination.Santería teaches that the essence of a person, their Santería has standards for behavior and moral edicts that practitioners are expected to live by,Practitioners often believe that individuals have a specific Many practitioners of Santería characterize their religion as being more life-affirming than Santería places restrictions on the tasks that women are permitted to do while menstruating.The building in which Santería's rituals are carried out is known as the In addition to their altar to the oricha, many practitioners also have altars set aside for the spirits of the dead.In Santería, offerings to the oricha are referred to as Santería's animal sacrifice has been a cause of concern for many non-practitioners,The process of initiation takes place over seven days,The new initiate is given beaded necklaces, known as The new initiate can finally take their tureen containing their The annual celebration of one's initiation into the religion is known as the The main public ritual performance in Santería is a drumming ceremony known as Each of the oricha is associated with a particular dance.During the possession, the possessed individual is referred to as the "horse", with the oricha having "mounted" them.Santería teaches that supernatural factors cause or exacerbate human ailments.Herbalism is a major component of Santería healing practices,Particular focuses of Santería healing include issues of female reproduction, skin complaints, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems, and sexually transmitted infections such as Obi, which is also known as Biagué, involves the casting of four pieces of a dried coconut shell, with the manner in which they fall being used to fathom an answer to a particular question.Santería features the creation of protective charms known as As well as having been influenced by Spiritism during the 19th century,Some practitioners whose approach to Santería is influenced by Espiritismo also create cloth dolls for deceased family members and spirit guides.Most enslaved Africans who arrived in Cuba did so in the 19th century;These traditions had to adapt to meet the new social conditions of the enslaved population.In Spanish Cuba, Roman Catholicism was the only religion that could be practiced legally.In Cuba, traditional African religions continued to be practiced within clubs and fraternal organizations made up of African migrants and their descendants.From 1790, Cuba's government increased restrictions on the After slavery was abolished in Cuba there was a renewed push for independence from the Spanish Empire, an idea promoted by Cuban nationalists who emphasized cultural assimilation of the island's various ethnic groups to create a united sense of 'Cuban-ness'.One of the first intellectuals to examine Santería was the lawyer and ethnographer In 1982, Cuba's government established the Departmento de Estudios Sociorreligiosos (Department of Socio-Religious Studies, DESR), which investigated Santería from a The Cuban Revolution generated an exodus of many Cubans, who settled in other parts of the Americas, especially the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.In the second half of the twentieth century, there was a growing awareness among santeros/santeras of the trans-national links that their religion had with other orisha-worshipping belief systems in West Africa and the Americas.

The The term "Santería" translates into English as the "way of the saints. Cuba is still the religious center of Santería, but the faith has spread to many other countries as well, including the U.S.

Santeria (Way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. Santeria developed in Cuba by Africans from Benin and Nigeria who were sent to Cuba because of the slave trade. Santeria means "the worship of the saints." It emerged in Cuba during the 17th century, and has been embedded in Cuban society ever since.