Haiti customs

The Republic of Haiti (French: République d'Haïti; Creole: Repiblik Ayiti), abbreviated as Haiti, is an island country located in the northern Caribbean Sea. The Indian word means "mountainous place". Haiti is bounded by the Dominican Republic to the east, the Caribbean Sea to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the north, and Cuba and Jamaica across the sea to the west, with a total area of 27750 square kilometers.

Most residents in Haiti are Catholic. The official languages are French and Creole, and 90% of the residents use Creole. The capital, Port-au-Prince. Independence was declared on January 1, 1804, and its name was named Haiti. It was the world's first independent black country. Blacks accounted for 95% of the total population, so it was known as the "Black Republic."

Voodoo is prevalent in rural Haiti. Voodoo is an ancient belief in Haiti criticized by missionaries. This belief originated from the traditional polytheistic worship of ancient Africa and incorporated some elements of devil worship in Catholicism. Former President Duvalier Sr. once used this worship to establish a private army called the Tonton Macut (Man-Eating Demon King) to exercise strict control over its people. There are many Catholic churches established in Haiti during the colonial period. There are many very devout Catholics in Haiti, 80% of the residents are Catholic and 16% are Protestant.

Haiti people are upright, optimistic and enthusiastic. When people meet, they use words such as "Good Morning","Good afternoon","Good Night","Hello" and other words according to different times. Familiar friends also hug and kiss when they meet. They are popular in using handshake. The taboos of Haiti residents are similar to those of Spain, France, Mexico and other countries. For example, a woman does not want others to ask her age and whether she has a boyfriend. Haiti people don't let others touch the top of their children's heads. In terms of the number of dates, I don't like "13" and think that the 13th of every month is unlucky.

The buildings in large cities in Haiti are European, most of which are high-rise buildings. Most of the houses where farmers live are single-room bungalows with single windows, and the walls are usually made of forest straw and mud. Haiti residents wear suits on formal occasions and usually dress casually, but the clothes of aristocrats and civilians are very different. In this country, leather shoes are one of the symbols of class privilege, so no matter how hot the weather is, rich people wear leather shoes.

Haiti people like to eat olive oil rice. When cooking, boil the water first, add the rice, then add the olive oil. After the rice is cooked, apply it with cold water, apply butter, heat before braising, and dry with water. Most Haiti residents eat two meals, with ethnic dishes: fried pork with chili pepper, carp with corn flour, rice with peas or beef, bananas, sweet potatoes and yams. Urban residents drink more drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Farmers often eat mangoes, yams, beans, sweet potatoes and corn. Only during festivals do you eat some meat, eggs and milk.

Legal holidays in Haiti: Independence Day (January 1), National Flag Day (May 18), and Haiti Invention Day (December 5). Among all festivals in Haiti, the most lively and grandest one is Carnival. During the month-long festival celebration, large and small parades will be crowded into the streets, and there are sightseeing buses running on the streets for tourists to ride. During the Carnival, there are also some traditional voodoo activities held, such as praying or kneeling to statues of gods.