Amy has a BA/MA Criminal Justice. Worked with youth for over 20 years in academic settings. Avid reader, history and mystery lover.
How do you identify yourself? Do you think of yourself in terms of culture, ethnicity, or race? Do you let others define who you are? Rastafarians, or also known as Rastas, make the choice to decide for themselves who they are and what is important to their culture.
Rastafarianism is a religious, as well as a political movement, that originated on the island of Jamaica, which has a mainly black population. Let us look at some of the important aspects that make Rastafarianism a distinctive lifestyle.
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Rastafarians live in communities that are apart from Babylon, the name they use for the outside, modern world. Babylon is a biblical reference to a city known for its sin and godlessness. Rastas promote a healthy lifestyle, peaceful living, justice, and reject our junk-food, instant gratification modern-society in favor of a slower, more mindful way of living.
They promote social and economic egalitarianism (equality). However, contradictorily, there are gender roles within the culture. The roles are considered of equal importance, but the culture is patriarchal, and males maintain the most authority.
Women are ''Queens'' and the primary caregivers and nurturers who raise the children, teach them to eat right, and take care of their health. Rasta women do not wear make-up, they dress modestly, and identify closely with nature and living naturally.
Most Rastafarians have a strict, natural, vegan diet that excludes red meat, chicken, fish, and processed foods, so if you are a fan of hamburgers and chocolate cupcakes, you will probably not want to live on a Rastafarian diet. Fruits, vegetables, and flax are a common part of their meals.
The Rastafarian style of cooking is called ital cooking which relies heavily on coconut milk as the main ingredient and the preferred use of clay pots over metal pots, the latter of which is seen as a possible vector of metals into the body. Rastas also avoid dairy products and spices, so herbs and peppers are used in their stead and if salt is used, it must be kosher and without iodine.
Rastafarians also use medicinal herbs whenever possible instead of going to the doctor. It is important to their culture to keep their bodies clean from pollutants.
Another important aspect of Rastafarian culture and lifestyle is dreadlocks. Dreadlocks are hair that is uncombed and uncut; allowed to grow out naturally and to mimic a lion's mane, and all the things that can be associated with lions, including strength and intelligence. Rastafarians believe that God wants them to be as natural as possible, so they do not cut their hair or pierce their bodies. Also, part of their lifestyle is the smoking of marijuana. They believe that marijuana, also called cannabis, increases the chances of communication with Jah, which is their name for God.
Color is an important part of Rastafarian clothing, which often reflects the colors that represent Ethiopia which they believe is their homeland. These colors include golds, greens, blacks, and reds and each has some symbolic meaning.
Knitted caps often adorn the heads of men and women. Women also wear head coverings for special celebrations, but some women, depending on the branch of the faith tradition they follow, are required to wear head coverings whenever they are in public.
The clothing worn by Rastafarians are reminiscent of African styles and are often long and resemble dresses. The clothing is made from natural fibers and the use of animal skins is forbidden. A common motif in body adornment, such as pendants, is that of the Ras Tafari, or the lion, which symbolizes their attachment to Ethiopia, and their relationship to Halie Selassie I, former emperor of Ethiopia, who is a messiah figure.
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Lesson Summary
Rastafarians live in communities separate from what they call Babylon which is their term for the modern world. They believe in peace, justice, and egalitarianism but their communities are patriarchal, and women and men have their own individual roles. Rastas are vegans and their style of cooking, ital relies heavily on coconut milk as the main ingredient.
Rastafarians wear their hair in dreadlocks and do not comb or cut it, believing that this is what God, whom they call Jah wants. Their clothing has African influences and they often wear knitted caps over their hair. They also smoke marijuana as way to getting closer to God so that they can communicate with God.
Rastafarians also believe that former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I, was a messiah and that their true home is in the land of Ethiopia
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