Culture of Haiti: Here's What You Need to Know About Its People, History, and Tradition

Haiti has a rich history, with its culture being a mixture of African, Taino and European traditions due to the French colonization.

Haiti also witnessed slave practices that brought many of the country's ancestors to the Caribbean island's shores. Haitians have certain practices in their beliefs and etiquettes, with the majority of its population practicing Catholicism.

People of Haiti

Eighty percent of Haitian Christians were identified as Catholic, and only 16 percent were protestant, according to Restavek Freedom.

The cultural practice of vodou also coexists alongside Christianity. Vodou focuses on the idea of evil spirits at work on the island.

Those who practice vodou use candles, incenses, and oils with the intention to appease evil spirits and bring order to chaos and pain.

The practice of vodou has been long stereotyped as "black magic." However, many vodou practitioners earn most of their income from healing the sick rather than attacking targeted victims.

Catholics and protestants alike generally believe in the existence of Iwa. However, they consider it to be demons to be avoided rather than family spirits to be served. The people of Haiti mainly speak Creole and French.

History of Haiti

The first inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola, now shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, were the indigenous Taino people. The group spoke Arawak and started arriving from the Yucatan peninsula as early as 4000 BCE, according to Ref World.

The Taino-Arawak ruined the first Spanish settlement. There was continued resistance among the group, and those who were not killed disappeared into the remote mountains.

The Spanish introduced sugar cane from the Canary Islands, which prompted the increase in the importation of West Africans for forced labor on the plantations.

Enslaved West Africans led an uprising on the sugar plantation owned by Christopher Columbus' son, Diego Colon.

The severe restriction of the Spanish movement has allowed both the British and the French to start using the nearby island of Tortuga and the western portion of the island for hunting.

The French established direct control in the 1600s from Tortuga, further expanding to the north coast. The French colonial settlement earned the most profitable operations with its forced labor, becoming the wealthiest colony in the Western hemisphere.

In August 1791, the Haitian revolution started, which was led by Toussaint L'Ouverture.

Traditions in Haiti

Haiti has various celebrations and festivities, mainly associated with the practice of vodou. According to USA Today, a vodou priest or priestess leads the ceremonies for honoring the dead, which is usually celebrated in their year and one-day rituals.

Haiti is also known for its Carnival, which is the largest annual event that occurs throughout the country. Haiti's Carnival features parades, costumes, local music, and dancing in the streets.

Rara Festival in Haiti is also known as the peasant carnival. It refers to the diverse Haitian style of music and dance that is usually played during Easter week.

Musicians play vaskin, a bamboo-type horn, along with drums and tin trumpets.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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