San Lazaro

Cuba’s Favourite Saint

Catholicism came to Cuba with the original Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century and despite efforts to ban religions of all kinds following the revolution of 1959, it remains outwardly the dominant religion of the day. The churches have all reopened and been repaired, the pope has visited twice giving Cubans his blessing, and people are able to freely practice their chosen religion without fear of persecution.

“Santaria” is the name given to the Cuban form of the African religions brought over with the slaves from West Africa. Cuban life is steeped in the beliefs of Santaria which has always managed to survive underground practiced by people in the worst conditions imaginable who gained from it their strength to survive. Although it is now recognised as a religion in its own right and openly practised it is so ingrained into the beliefs and culture of the island that it adopts and transforms the Catholic saints and embodies them with its own deities, and vice versa in a sort of symbiotic relationship!!

The saint most celebrated in Cuba is San Lazaro! He was the poorest of the poor. He ate the scraps from under the tables and even the dogs licked his sores, so the stories tell us. He was famously raised from the dead by Jesus and himself became a saint.

Who can not feel sorry for San Lazaro? He is the saint for whom so many Cubans feel a great sense of empathy.

San Lazaro has a dedicated following in Cuba his Sanatrian self is “Babalu Aye” (ref Rough Guide to Cuba)

December 17th is his saint day and the preceding day, December 16th, is the day of peregrination. The devotees begin their dedications and demonstrations of self sacrifice in Santiago de las Vegas and culminate their 5 to 6 kilometre journey at the Sanctuary of his name adjacent to and in the grounds of the old Hospital on the out skirts of El Rincon, a suburb of Havana.

They are a conspicuous procession, dressed in dirty old clothes or tunics made from old sacks for the occasion. Barefoot or with special rope shoes if not on their knees, some even spread-eagle themselves on the ground face down on the earth. They might carry wooden crosses or other burdens and slowly painfully make their procession to the feet of their saint. On reaching the Sanctuary they make their pledges and promises in return for cures received or hoped for, for themselves, for relatives or friends. Many also renew their promises to fulfil pre existing devotional pacts with San Lazaro for favours done and cures received.

On the streets of Havana there are many devotees who walk the streets carrying small statues of San Lazaro and collecting money for Cuba’s favourite saint!

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Maceo Cubas Titan!

As a visitor arriving in Cuba your spending money will be the Cuban Convertible Peso or CUC, a currency invented for tourists!

It’s quite unlikely that you will become very familiar with Cuba’s National Money, but it’s well worth taking 3 or 4 CUC to a “casa de cambio” (money exchange) and getting a variety of denominations of Moneda Nacional. Take a look at the portraits on the back of the notes, and you will find a catalogue of heroes and men who have been key forces in the history of Cuba’s struggle for freedom and equality, which continues today.

Take a five peso note…. Its greenish!
On the back is a likeness of a man few people outside of Cuba will be familiar with, but he is considered to be one of the most note worthy guerrilla leaders of the 19th century, and his name is Jose Antonio de la Caridad Meaco y Grajales or Antonio Maceo!
Known as the Bronze Titan “El Titan De Bronce” by Cubans or by the Spanish “el Leon Mayor” the Great Lion he was very aptly named resembling in his stature and leadership qualities, both of these nick names!

Born in the east of Cuba many of the monuments and visual tributes to his achievements are displayed in Santiago de Cuba.

He was born to Mariana Grajales, a mestizo from the Dominican Republic, the first child with her second husband Marco Maceo. Mariana is considered the mother of all Cubans for her remarkable patriotism, determination and bravery on the battle field supporting her husband and sons during the struggles with the Mambi rebels against the Spanish colonialists during the wars of the 19th century.

Antonio Maceo, his father and brothers first took up arms in 1868 in support of the revolt triggered in part by landowner Carlos de Cespedes who freed his slaves in return for their support in an independence struggle against Spain, the famous “Cry of Yara”. Maceo was quickly promoted in the armed struggle for his bravery and intelligence in planning and executing strategic attacks and his obvious leadership qualities. Indeed the army was known as “Maceos Liberation Army”


He famously refused to surrender arms in protest to the signing of the “Pact of Zanjon” after the Ten Year War of 1868 this episode being known as the Baragua Protest!
Maceo had to flee Cuba to save his life from pursuit by Spanish determined to assassinate him and he was resident in Coast Rica when Jose Marti approached him to participate in the war of 1895. After much discussion and planning he returned to Cuba to lead the liberation forces once more.
He adopted Maximo Gomez strategy of using the machete as a ferocious and deadly weapon against the Spanish sword to great effect. The cruel reconcentration of the rural communities into camps similar in degradation and inhumane conditions encouraged many peasants to join the liberation army rather than starve under the Spanish.
Death came in battle in 1896, shot twice in the chest and the head by a Spanish battalion who had no idea of his identity. By his side young Panchito, (son of the famous Maximo Gomez) who had stayed with him in a fatal attempt to protect his general was hacked to death with machetes and left to rot. They had no idea who they had killed!

Maceo fought in more than 500 battles and recovered from more than 25 injuries.
He was a member of the freemasons and believed completely in “God reason and virtue” which he displayed in his actions throughout his life.
He once commented in a letter to a friend “That (country) which attempts to seize Cuba, will gather the dust of its ground soaked in blood, if he does not perish in fight.”

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