Home
Cuba
PLAN MY VISIT
Cuba Destinations HotelsThings to do Transport Maps Vacations Team
  • Top Destinations
PLAN MY VISIT →
  1. Home
  2. Cuba
  3. Travel Guides

Cuban Santeria Practices

Santeria is a fusion of Catholic practices and African folk beliefs. It emerged in Cuba during the 17th century, and has been embedded in Cuban society ever since. These days, it’s far more prevalent than Catholicism on the island—Santeros outnumber Catholics by 8-1. Cuba is still the religious center of Santería, but the faith has spread to many other countries as well, including the U.S.

Flag of Cuba

Team Anywhere Cuba designs awesomepersonalized vacations  using local knowledge and decades of experience.

cuban%20santero

Santería’s roots can be traced to the Lucumí religion, which was practiced by the Yoruba tribes of modern-day Benin and Nigeria. Slaves from West Africa were imported to Cuba in the 17th century, and they brought their religious tradition with them. The slaves were banned from practicing their own religion, so they disguised their gods as Catholic figures and continued to pray to them as they pleased. As such, in Santería – the name means Way of the Saints – Catholic saints represent Yoruban divine beings, known as orishas.

For centuries, Santería – which is also known as the Regla de Ocha – was practiced in secret, and survived orally from one generation to another. After the Revolution, Santería was openly acknowledged but was criticized by the government as being folksy witchcraft. In the 1980s, there was a resurgence of interest in Santería, and today it enjoys widespread appeal throughout much of Cuba. It’s estimated that up to 80 percent of the Cuban population follows some Santería practices.

cuban%20santeria%20vendor

Fidel Castro is even rumored to be a believer. That may be in part due to an auspicious event that happened during his victory speech on January 8, 1959. While Fidel was addressing the crowd, two doves flew over the podium, and one of them landed on his shoulder. Doves are symbols of Obatalá, the son of God in Santería. Not surprisingly, many people took this as a sign that God wanted Fidel to lead Cuba.

The combining of concepts and terminology from different religions – in this case, from Catholicism and the Lucumí religion – is called religious syncretism. In the minds of many Cubans, the two religions parallel one another, rather than existing as one unified religion. They also don’t see contradictions between the two faiths. Practitioners attend Catholic mass and might even baptize their children, while also practicing forms of Lucumí in their home. In the house of a Santero, you might find statues of Catholic saints alongside orisha symbols.

Beliefs

Santería followers believe that one God created the universe and that the world is cared for by lesser divine beings known as orishas. Similar to ancient Greek gods, the orishas represent various forces of nature along with certain human characteristics—for example, Yemayá is the orisha of the sea and motherhood.

santeria%20orisha

The orishas are thought to perform miracles for adherents, and can also be blamed for unfortunate events. If an individual has consistently bad luck, they must appease their orisha to achieve harmony and balance in their life. The followers, however, can’t communicate directly with these divine beings. Santería priests, known as babalawos, act as intermediaries in the religion. They interpret the will of the gods using divination, which involves an elaborate ceremony that often includes rum, drums, cigars, and animal sacrifice. The relationship with the Santeros is also beneficial to the orishas—they only continue to exist if humans worship them. The orishas are thus not immortal, but depend on human devotion and sacrifice to survive.

santeria%20sacrificial%20materials

Strolling through the streets of Cuba, you’ll occasionally come across people wearing all white clothing—chances are these people are going through their Santería initiation. People of all ages can choose to follow Santería, with an initiation process that sets the follower on la regla de ocha (the way of orishas). The initiations are ritualistic and involve elaborate ceremonies. Followers are required to stay inside at night for an entire year and only dress in white. No one is allowed to touch the follower aside from family members or lovers.

Every follower is assigned to an orisha who will guide him or her throughout life. There are around 400 orishas, but only 20 are regularly worshiped in Cuba. There’s Ochún, who wears yellow and is associated with the Virgen de la Caridad (the Virgin of Charity). If you visit the El Cobre Cathedral, you’ll see followers sporting yellow clothes and wearing yellow and white beads in homage to Ochún. Changó is another popular saint. The saint of fire and war, he is often seen carrying a double-headed axe and is associated with red and white. His Catholic avatar is Santa Barbara.

Obatalá, the goddess of creation and peace, dresses in white and associated with the Virgen de la Merced (the Virgin of Mercy). Yemayá rules the ocean and is the goddess of motherhood. Not surprisingly, she wears blue and white, and is associated with the Virgen de Regla. Santeros often have statues of saints in their home, and may even have an altar where pastries, candles, fruits, and coins are offered to their orisha.

There are no official churches or temples in the religion. As such, ceremonies and rituals are usually performed at home or in public.

santeria%20ceremony%20at%20home

And because Santería lacks scriptures, the whole faith is passed down orally. This is why ceremonies and rites are so important.

Exploring Santería in Cuba

Santería is popular throughout all of Cuba, but the cities of Santiago, Matanzas, and Havana have the largest number of followers. In each of these places, there are opportunities to learn more about the religion.

Santiago has a high concentration of Afro-Cubans, and not surprisingly, a large number of Santeros. While here, you can sometimes see Santería ceremonies being performed in Plaza Dolores—these usually include dancing, chanting, and drumming. There are small side streets in Santiago that are lined with stands selling items used in ceremonies, including feathers, candles, bones, stones, herbs, and live animals. Feel free to ask people about the religion and, if given permission, take photographs.

santeria%20animal%20sacrifice

Visits to the cathedral at El Cobre, which is about 15 miles (23 km) from Santiago, will also be instructive. Many Santeros make the journey here to pray to Ochún, a.k.a. the Virgen of Charity, who is enshrined in a glass case above the church altar. While here, you’ll see people wearing yellow clothes and buying sunflowers in honor of Ochún. This cathedral is very special to Catholics too, and thus offers travelers a fascinating look at the intersection between Catholicism and Santería.

santeria%20and%20catholicism

In Regla, a neighborhood on the eastern side of the Havana harbor, you’ll often see Santería shrines in front of homes. A number of babalawos live in Regla, and while here, it’s possible to have them give you advice for a small fee. You might also visit Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla, which hosts the black Virgen de Regla, who is associated with Yemayá and is the patron saint of sailors. The neighboring town of Guanabacoa is also an important center for Santería. In fact, when Santeros find themselves in a difficult position, they sometimes say that they are going to have to go to Guanabacoa to find a babalawo to help solve their problems.

A large number of slaves were imported to Cuba via Matanzas during the 19th century, and Santería gained a strong following here. To this day, the city is an important site for Santería followers. At the Museo de la Ruta del Esclavo, you can explore a room dedicated to Santería and other Afro-Cuban religions; there are even life-sizes models of orishas.

cuban%20orisha%20statue

While in Cuba, you may be able to witness private Santería ceremonies. These aren’t widely held for tourists, but if you really want to learn more about Santería, you may be able to have a local Santero arrange a ceremony for you. The ceremonies are sensual, powerful affairs, where men kill pigeons and roosters, smoke cigars, spit rum, and play drums. It’s unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen. If you do participate in one of these ceremonies, be sure to tip the babalawo afterwards—this not only pays for his time and effort, but also helps reimburse the costs of the ceremony, which includes the animals, rum, cigars, and more.

santeria%20ceremeony%20cigars%20rum

When interacting with Santeros, please be respectful of their religion. If you watch a ceremony or take photographs, it’s customary to offer a tip afterwards. For longer ceremonies, you should be prepared to tip CUC20 or more.

Casas ParticularesClassic Cars and the Cubans That Keep Them RunningCrime and Safety in CubaCuba AirBnBCuba Entry RequirementsCuban Agriculture & FarmingCuban Cultural TraditionsCuban Santeria Practices Cuba's Government and EconomyCuba's History of Music & Art Dancing is Life in Cuba – A Nation's Culture of MovementDevelopment and Society in CubaEnvironmental Issues in CubaFood and Drink in CubaGetting Around in CubaGetting to CubaHemingway in CubaHistory of CubaHolidays and Festivals in CubaInternet Access in CubaIs Cuba Safe?Money in CubaMusicians of CubaOn the Left in Cuba's Black MarketReligion in CubaRemnants of the RevolutionSports & Pastimes in CubaStill Smoking - Tobacco and Cigars in CubaThe Blessing and Curse of the RevolutionThe Five Best Drives in CubaThe Geography of CubaThe People of CubaThe U.S. and CubaU.S. Travel to CubaWeather in CubaWhen to Visit Cuba
Excellent!
Trustpilot Rating
Based on 705 reviews
Trustpilot
Great Service!
We had a great experience with Anywhere Cuba. They really made our trip comfortable and were 100% available and collabor...
Feb 04, 2020
– Daniela R.
Trustpilot Rating
Another great trip
As usual, Anywhere provided a great and professional service both before and during our trip. Thanks!
Sep 06, 2019
– Sadie
Trustpilot Rating
Book with Anywhere! Easiest decision you'll have to make
Booking with Anywhere was the best decision we made. Our trip was absolutely amazing, everything we wanted, plus everyth...
Apr 26, 2019
– Stephanie
Trustpilot Rating
This service is outstanding
This service is outstanding. We had changes to be made, and they were done so with ease. All of the excursions and dri...
Mar 23, 2019
– Linda A
Trustpilot Rating
This was our third time using Anywhere…
This was our third time using Anywhere to help us create an adventure (Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba). As with our first two ...
Mar 15, 2019
– Brent Pat.
Trustpilot Rating
Great service that caters to the…
Great service that caters to the desires and wishes of their clients. We had the best vacation ever with this visit. Any...
Mar 07, 2019
– Bill
Trustpilot Rating
The Hidden Treasure of Travel Agency ( that shouldn't be anymore )!
Super pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable staff! We plan to have them coordinate our next trips to the areas they ser...
Feb 15, 2019
– Mari
Trustpilot Rating
Best vacation of my life
Best vacation of my life! I told them the type of vacation and experiences I wanted and they somehow found the most perf...
Feb 08, 2019
– Lisa
Trustpilot Rating
Our First trip to Cuba
We had our first trip to Cuba in January. Juan and Daniel helped us plan the trip accommodating what we were most intere...
Jan 29, 2019
– Abby Elle.
Trustpilot Rating
Anywhere.com is the best.
I would recommend Anywhere.com to anyone who is looking to travel to the destinations that they coordinate. I have been ...
Dec 17, 2018
– Robert
Trustpilot Rating
Great Experience in Cuba!
Initially was very hesitant to book with Anywhere since they are a smaller company but they really went above and beyond...
Nov 06, 2018
– Nina
Trustpilot Rating
Great Customer Service
We have now used the services of anwhere.com for trips to Cuba and Peru. I cannot endorse them strongly enough. Our expe...
Nov 01, 2018
– Peter Tes.
Trustpilot Rating
Anywhere exceeded all expectations
Anywhere exceeded all expectations. Schedules were kept, accommodations were excellent and tours were very high quality....
Apr 25, 2018
– David Bet.
Trustpilot Rating

Let's Dream Together

Share your bucketlist to get inspiration and local connections.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.

Cuba Vacations
  • Beach
  • Culture
  • History
  • Romantic
Cuba Travel
  • Places to go
  • Things to do
  • Hotels
  • Maps
  • Getting around
  • Safety
ANYWHERE'S TOP SPOTS
  • Costa Rica
  • Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
  • Tamarindo Beach, Costa Rica
  • Costa Rica Beaches
  • Machu Picchu, Peru
  • Cusco, Peru
  • Galapgos, Ecuador
  • Quito, Ecuador
  • Antigua, Guatemala
  • Ambergris Caye, Belize
  • Gladden Spit and Silk Caye, Belize
GET INSPIRED!
  • Our Safest Pick!
  • Family Vacations Made Easy
  • Best Tropical Beaches
  • Best Islands
  • Best Hot Springs
  • Cloudforests & Rainforests
  • Get into Nature
  • Mystical Destinations
  • Best Swimming Holes
  • Best Ruins
Trustpilot 5 of 5 rated service
Trustpilot "Excellent"
Plan My Visit→+1 (888) 456-3212
MessengerContact AnywhereWhatsapp ContactCall USA: +1-888-456-3212

© 2023 Anywhere Inc. All rights reserved.Privacy Policy