Haitian Culture Research Paper

Haiti, a name that means "mountainous country," is acquired from the language of the Taino Indians. Tainos are people that used to live before European colonization. The language spoken by many people is Kreyol, whose pronunciation and vocabulary are derived largely from French, however whose syntax is like that of other creoles. Furthermore, the adoption of a new constitution in 1987, Kreyol was given official status as the primary official language.
Some elements of African cultures survive, such as specific prayers, a few words, and dozens of spirit entities, nevertheless Haitian culture is distinct from African and other New World cultures. For example, the element of traditional dress most associated with Haiti is the karabela dress. The term "karabela" typically refers to a dress worn by women for traditional folk dances. In contrast, the corresponding garments worn by men are sometimes also called "karabela." The karabela dress is
Haiti's version of the Afro-Caribbean dress more commonly known throughout the Caribbean as the quadrille dress.
Rituals and Holy Places.
People make pilgrimages to a series of holy sites. Those sites became popular in association with manifestations of saints and are marked by unusual geographic features such as the waterfall at Saut d'Eau, the most famous of sacred sites. Waterfalls and certain species of large trees are especially sacred because they are believed to be the homes of spirits and the conduits through which spirits enter the world of living humans. For practitioners, or Vodouisans, Vodou rituals are part of a philosophy that ties individuals to society, their community, and the environment. Death and the Afterlife. Beliefs concerning the afterlife depend on the religion of the individual. Strict Catholics and Protestants believe in the reality of reward or punishment after death. Practitioners of voodoo assume that the souls of all the deceased go to an abode "beneath the waters," that is often associated with lafrik gine ("L'Afrique Guinée," or Africa). Concepts of reward and punishment in the afterlife are alien to
vodoun.
In conclusion, the Vodou is so entwined in Haiti's culture that it is practically impossible to separate from their traditional. However, numerous religions what to change their belief. Many Haitians have a lot of issues to change their traditional. In the United States, many Haitians immigrants are a challenge to mental health. Haitians are faced with the challenge of adapting to a new culture; they experience stress and become vulnerable to mental illness. Unfortunately, Haitian adolescents fear of being labeled as voodoo cat eaters, or simply stupid or dirty. In the end, they want to live their lives to the fullest because their love their traditions.