Haiti is the pearl of the Caribbean. Haiti is a country located on the island of Hispaniola, next to the Dominican Republic. African slaves were taking to Haiti by the French, since the French could not communicate with the slaves in their native language, the French masters forced the slaves to learn how speak French. After a war, where the African slaves revolted. The French lost and left Haiti and the slaves still spoke French. The African slaves in Haiti today are known has Haitians. The Haitian culture is a very colorful. It is a mix of African and European due to the French colonizing Haiti. Evidence of the Haitian culture being colorful is in its language music and food. The French influences in Haiti are present in their cuisine, but more so it is representative of their location in the Caribbean. However, Haitians have their own flavor as a result of the lack of Spanish influence on their island compared to others in the Caribbean. The cooking style …show more content…
Voodoo is widely practiced in Haiti. Voodoo consists of a mix of Central and Western African, European, and Native American (Taíno) religions. Misconceptions about voodoo have given Haiti a reputation for sorcery and zombies. Voodoo specialists, male houngan, and female manbo, mediate between humans and spirits through divination and trance. They diagnose illnesses and reveal the origins of other misfortune. They can also perform rituals to appease spirits or ancestors or to repel magic. Many voodoo specialists are accomplished herbalists who treat a variety of illnesses. Protestantism is one of the minority religions in Haiti. Protestantism has been around in Haiti since the earliest days of the republic. By the mid-nineteenth century, small numbers of Protestant missions, principally Baptist, Methodist, and
Ghede (Voudoun) The god of both death and fertility. His phallus is said to be carved along a gravedigger 's tools. Ghede are among the most famous and most beloved spirits present in the Haitian Vodou religion. These are the spirits of the forgotten dead, those who no longer have anyone to remember them, who have been reclaimed by the Baron himself to dance amongst his escourt, and these Spirits really do DANCE!
Besides, it is one of the most misconceived religions of our times. What are the major concerns that come to a person’s mind when they think about Voodoo? What comes to your mind when you think of Voodoo? I bet you and everyone else is thinking alike. You guys are thinking about whether Voodoo is a religion or not or why people practice it because it seems devious to you.
worshipers, severing as intermediates between the physical world and the spirit world. In some Voodoo societies, priests and priestesses may also serve as intermediaries, summoning spirits and performing acts of sorcery. In other societies, female leaders, referred to as “Voodoo Queens”, supervised several religious happenings within their community. Some Voodooists use “Gris-gris,” which are sacred amulets said to ward off evil spirits. Voodoo dolls are typically associated with African folk magic called “Hoodoo”.
I hope I go there again. Haiti is located between Cuba and Puerto Rico. It is very hot there in the day and at night. There is a lot of lizards and spiders. There is also an orphanage there.
Little Haiti: A Threatened Cultural and Ethnic Enclave Little Haiti, also known as La Petite Haïti, is a vibrant Haitian cultural and ethnic enclave located in Miami, Florida (2, 8). The enclave sprawls over several city blocks and is recognized by the government as a cultural center for Haitian immigrants (2, 8, 12). But Little Haiti is a rather recent phenomenon and prior to the 1980’s the area was called “Lemon City” (2). The enclave formed as a result of the destruction of Duvalier’s dictatorship, which created a political vacuum that subsequently plunged Haiti into chaos-the country experienced no less than four military coups in this time (1, 13). This crisis was a significant push factor and consequently large numbers of Haitians immigrated to the United
Exploring the Dominican Republic Sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti is the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic. It is known for its beaches, resorts and golfing. The nation is a mix of rainforest, savannah and highlands. The Beauty of Santo Domingo The capital Santo Domingo is one of the Caribbean’s oldest cities.
Cuban Cuisine Cuban cuisine is a combination of African, Spanish and Caribbean cuisine. The lip smacking Cuban recipes share techniques and spices with African and Spanish cooking, with hints of Caribbean influence in flavor and spice. The result is a unique, flavorful and interesting blend of the several cultural influences. A small yet noteworthy Chinese cuisine influence can also be witnessed in Cuban dishes. So, if you want to feast your taste buds, come to
Voodoo is a blend of African animism, spiritism and indigenous religion. It is mainly practiced in West Africa and Haiti but is also practiced in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Cuba, The Dominican Republic and America. The beliefs can be a bit different in different schools and locations. The practical and ritual dimension of voodoo includes rituals like prayers, drumming, dancing, singing and animal sacrifice.
Despite the common opinion, voodoo rituals didn’t include drinking animal blood, sacrifices, snakes, sexual content etc. Still it was frightening enough for the white plantation owners and they forbid the slaves to study voodoo. The plantation owners had baptized them all as Catholics but voodoo was still practiced secretly. The salves also incorporated Christianity with their native beliefs, they included some Catholic saints, prayers, statues and candles in their voodoo belief. Voodoo had come to the United States, when the slaves in Haiti were sold to the West Indies, mostly to New Orleans.
Haiti’s 2010 earthquake was caused from two sides of the fault line moving past each other in an east and west direction, resulting in a geological catastrophe. This is contributed by its geographical location. In addition, Haiti was not doing well before the earthquake due to the poor infrastructure. The earthquake at its height was recorded to be a 7.0 on the Richter Scale. Various geological components of the earthquake caused tremendous aftermath.
The traditions of Vodou in Haiti is a prime example of religious syncretism-as it has a combination of Christian and traditional African religions. These practices were also influenced through syncretism with French Catholicism. The West African deities, primarily from Benin and Dahomey, are called loa and are also usually identified with Roman Catholic saints. For example, the serpent loa, Damballah, is often identified with St. Patrick. Also Houngan, or Voodoo priests, have long since adopted elements of Roman Catholicism in Voodoo rituals, including the use of candles, bells, crosses, the practices of baptism, and making the sign of the cross.
Sharing the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, Haiti occupies a affluent, lush land in a key location. Religion is a fundamental part of Haitian life and culture. The two main religions are Roman Catholicism and Voudou, or Voodoo, a mixture of African animism (belief in spirits and nature) and Christianity. Haiti’s culture consists of large blend of traditional customs of French and African, mixed with sizable contributions from the Spanish and indigenous Taino culture.
Cultural Awareness: Haiti Cultural awareness serves as a foundation through which a nation becomes aware of its cultural values and beliefs. Further, culture is considered as a trademark for a particular nation. In line with this, this paper will serve as a socio-cultural analysis of Haiti. Culture Defined
This difference has made it harder than ever to be a Haitian living in another country. According to the 2010 census report for The Bahamas, 17.3% of the people living in the Bahamas are citizens of another country. With just under 40,000 (64.4%) being from Haiti or of Haitian descent, 9.2% hail from Jamaica and the rest are a mixture of other races and nationality (see Fig. 1). From the 16 surveys responses that I have analyzed, my research shows that the majority of people, both Haitians, Haitian Bahamians and Bahamians realize that Bahamians do not display the same negative attitude towards people of other nationalities that are living in The Bahamas (see Fig. 2). Fig.
One of the most mystifying ambiguities that the humankind face nowadays is how a nation can starve in a world with abundant resources! This is unfortunately the case with Haiti, and many other countries around the world. Despite the fact that Haiti is part of Caribbean islands which are considered to be one of the most attractive tourism places, it appears to be a calamity and misery more than anything else. Hundreds years of occupation, colonization, slavery, dictatorship and violence left Haiti doomed, ranking it amongst the world’s poorest countries. Their paralyzed economy, with no infrastructure, lack of food supplies, no electricity, no clear water, diseases and poor public health system, contributes in Haitians tragedy by worsening their situation.