Santeria Religion

Regla de Ocha, or Santeria, is an Afro-Cuban religion that was born from the context of colonialism and oppression through the memories and experiences of Yoruba slaves in Cuba. It is a combination of beliefs and practices from their homeland in Nigeria, of Roman Catholicism that was imposed on them from the Spanish colonists and of French spiritism from the work of Allan Kardec. In the last couple decades, Santeria has spread and gained popularity throughout South America and North America as an Afro-Cuban religion that many Cubans and African Americans abroad have embraced. Throughout the years, Santeria has also changed and has been redefined in different contexts as it has made its way across the African Diaspora and into different types

Many Cubans abroad have been able to reconnect with their religious heritage and many African Americans have been able to learn more about their ethnic heritage and history through their participation in Santeria. Regla de Ocha in Cuba has become a religious center among other African influenced religions in South America and the Caribbean. “For most santeros, babalaos, or fundamento bata drummers living outside of Cuba, the island is the origin of spiritual lineages that legitimize their religious status. As such, a visit to the island becomes a pilgrimage of sorts, a journey to the fount of the culture or religion they have been studying, or a visit to meet their elders/superiors. For many foreigners, the religion and its performance traditions are believed to be ‘purer’ or higher quality in Cuba than in other parts of the Americas.” (pg. 8, Delgado, Kevin) All popular religions have a main location where people often pilgrimage to, where they can pay their respect to highly respected elders, and visit sacred natural locations. We see an example of this when we talked about the sacred Ceiba tree in Cuba, as followers of Santeria often pay homage to it. With this idea of Santeria being more “pure” in Cuba than in other countries, Santeria is gaining an “authenticity” that validates it as a religious practice and is losing its association as a demonized, evil practice among those who know nothing of its