Island honours its African heritage

DRESSED in bright costumes, people of all ages gathered at Saint Francis of Assisi Plaza, one of Havana, Cuba’s oldest colonial-era sites, to celebrate the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day.

Many Christians worldwide annually celebrate the day on January 6, which is a holiday that marks two events in Jesus Christ’s life. The first was when the three wise men, or kings, visited infant Jesus. The second when Saint John the Baptist baptised Jesus.

The day is considered especially particular in Cuba.

Since the end of the 17th century, it has been the only celebration when the island’s slaves were allowed to wear their traditional African garb, carry out the rituals of their forefathers and perform African songs and dances for the Spanish colonial governors. Today, the holiday celebrates Cuba’s rich cultural heritage as a Caribbean melting pot of people from African, European and indigenous backgrounds.

“As ethnologist Fernando Ortiz once said, you cannot talk about Cuban culture without talking about black people,” said Alberto Granados, director of Africa House museum and organiser of the parade to mark the holiday.

A workshop this year focused on the 25th anniversary of Cuba’s Slave Route Project to honour their resistance against unjust treatment and legacy in the country.