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Altars to Saints and Orishas, ​​symbols of faith and devotion

Altars of Santeria

In Cuba, religion is a wide mixture of beliefs stemming from syncretism and transculturation that made it an identity mark of the Island.

Here each one decides what to believe, whom to venerate and how to take his religion and his spiritual path, and this brings the devotee tranquility, emotional stability, comfort and hope.

In this Caribbean Island the saints of the Catholic religion and the Orishas of the Yoruba religion and other African religious expressions, merge into the same cult that acquired over the years, an immense force.

Today, in the Rule of Osha (Santeria) both Catholic and African deities are worshiped in churches, home altars and in every representation of nature, as Oshun the queen of rivers and Yemaya the goddess of the seas.

What is an altar in Santeria?

The altars They are not something exclusive to the Yoruba religion, since they have been used throughout the centuries in different religions in order to venerate the deities, an altar is a space dedicated to their worship, a sacred place sheltered by faith.

However, yoruba altars they have defining characteristics associated with the qualities of the saints.

Therefore, the Orishas and Saints are venerated in altars They are always carried out following basic rules, related to the characteristics of each deity, such as their colors, attributes, and qualities that define them.

Venerating Saints and Orishas on a single altar

Catholic altars in Santeria

In Cuban houses where the worship of deities is professed, there is an immense variety of altars and religious mixtures, typical of syncretization.

The main saints and orishas whom we worship are represented, such as Shango and Santa Barbara, Oshun and the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, or the miraculous San Lázaro and Babalu Aye, among many others.

The Orishas settle in their different elements, for example, Elegguá, it is the first one seen when entering a house, because it is behind or near the door caring for and protecting, it does so in a sacred otá (stone) and it is usually adorned with offerings and items dedicated to him. 

Even in Cuban altars elements of crossed spiritism are found, such as attributes or dolls representing spirits protectors or spiritual cadre of the devotee.

And so the altars of each saint They are adorned with distinctive colors and aspects of each deity, such as yellow for Oshún, or blue for Yemayá, white for Obbatalá, knives, hammers and machetes for Shango and other more representative accessories of each one.

Each flower, colors, elements and attributes are related to the deities that are venerated and there in the sacred altars, they are placed as a form of respect, faith and honor.   

Altars and religious festivities

At the foot of the altars Orishas saints are also celebrated in their day, putting candles, flowers, food and offerings of all kinds on them.

Each saint is arranged and decorated according to his characteristics, with food, drinks, candles, omiero (spiritual water of herbs of the orishas), sculptures of Catholic saints, stamps and many other elements destined to commemorate the date.

There is also a altar to celebrate the day in which the individual began in the Rule of Osha and other times the saint requests the ceremony for different reasons that also requires altars.

In Cuba, santeros altars They range from the simplest to the most exuberant, but all are representatives of the immense faith of a people that adores their saints and professes their devotion to them in a unique and identitarian mixture of cults.

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