Cuba 101: Customs and Superstitions

In the first article of this series, we learned about Cuba and its religious beliefs. We saw how different religions and communities coexisted, and how they developed over history and reached our contemporary age.

To continue this narrative, this article will discuss some Cuban superstitions and customs, what they represent, and how some of them are influenced by religion and popular beliefs.

Beliefs and Rituals

A First Drop to the Saints (Orishas)

Whenever you find yourself drinking among Cubans, you’ll notice a short and quick ritual right after opening a bottle of rum. It is customary to let the first swig of the bottle drop to the ground, accompanied by the phrase “pa’ Los Santos”. It means “to the Saints” and refers to the Orishas (deities from Yoruba Religion), and it is considered a tribute to them.

There is neither wrong nor right place to do it, as it can be done wherever and whenever. Whether you’re at a bar, a party, or at home, the people around you will perform this ritual, with almost every single bottle they open.

Now you know, next time you’re about to share some drinks with anyone in Cuba, remember to pour the first shot “pa’ Los Santos”.

Knock on Wood

“knock on wood” by opacity

Superstitions are the kind of thing that compels you to do certain rituals or deeds, regardless of where your faith in them is strong. Knocking on wood is definitely a part of these popular acts that transcend actual belief in it.

Either to escape bad luck or to cherish and be grateful for something good, knocking on wood does the trick. It is rather surprising how often people do this, and how natural it goes in a conversation.

A fun fact, sometimes you don’t even need to knock precisely on wood, if deprived of it, you can make use of any surface. What’s important is the inner and tacit peace it brings you after doing it.

May’s First Downpour

“Rain Room” by vpickering

As the month of May approaches, everyone is eager to shower under May’s first downpour. Since it is the month of flowers, it is said that showering under the rain brings good luck and prosperity. No one knows when it is going to be, and that is precisely the magic of this costume.

As soon as the rain starts coming down, people of all places, be it, children or elders, run to the nearest open space they can find aiming to get some of May’s blissful rain.

New Year’s

Free Stock photos by Vecteezy

As December settles in, people around the world start doing an organizational and balanced plan and resolutions for the upcoming year, as well as an assessment of the last year. People in Cuba follow this cultural ritual; however, there are other peculiar costumes carried out while expecting the new year.

Spin Around a Ceiba Tree

Ceiba is considered a divine and sacred tree by pretty much every inhabitant of the island, no matter what their beliefs are. In this way, Ceiba trees are able to act as a common element that binds Cubans together. It is thought to be a source of healing and good fortune. Moreover, for many believers, it possesses great spiritual strength and has a strong connection to the spiritual world.

For that reason, every New Year’s Eve people line up to spin around it. That is often accompanied by little tributes such as fruits, animals, coins, tobacco, and so on, which are left in proximity to the tree.

More than a superstition, it has become a yearly appointment, in which people spin counterclockwise three times around the Ceiba and utter their prayers for the new beginning.

Walk Around the Block with a Suitcase

Credit (Flicker)

As absurd as it may sound, it is a real, modern custom nowadays. When the clock strikes twelve, a big mass of Cubans will take their empty suitcase, zip it and take it for a walk around the block.

This is supposed to bring good luck and hopefully the opportunity to travel abroad. It rarely works, but that doesn’t undermine anyone’s morale, given that they repeat it every year with the same uncurbed enthusiasm.

Burn a Dummy

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

On the very final day of the year, from really early on, the closest and most outgoing neighbors gather up and start planning the making of a dummy. This dummy will be burnt eventually, but what matters during the initial phase is to adequately dress the dummy in beautiful bright clothes and accessories.

Usually, people collect clothes, sheets, and rags from all over the neighborhood. It is also a way of saying goodbye to the past and reusing their old personal belongings. Once it is all set, they place the dummy in the agreed position and wait until midnight.

At midnight, all the neighbors start gathering around the designated spot and ignite the dummy. Everyone stares in silence as all sins, regrets, bad luck, and experiences from last year vanish in flames, and instead, let fortune and bliss enter into the new year.

New Year’s Cleanse

Credits (Ängelo Rigon. Flicker )

While some burn a dummy, and others spin around a Ceiba, there is another group of people that perform the New Year’s Cleanse. Whether on December 31^st, or January 1^st, some people in Cuba perform a deep cleaning of their homes.

The secret of this lies in the reasoning behind it, and the water used to perform the cleansing. While preparing the utensils to clean the house, it is customary to put some “cascarilla” in the bucket of water. Cascarilla is a type of dust, used in religious rituals, as a cleaning agent.

Then, once the house is cleaned with our “special water” we throw the water in the bucket onto the streets. Its purpose is to take away all the demons, the bad luck and thus purify our houses with holy properties.

As you can see superstitions are everywhere to be found, especially on such a multi-religious and multi-cultural island. They are a distinctive part of our identity and represent the thoughts, fears, and ambitions of an entire population.