TheCulture of Haiti is acreolized blend ofAfrican,European andTaino elements due to theFrench colonization of Amerindian land (which was then renamedSaint-Domingue), in conjunction with the large diverse enslaved African population who had later freed themselves by a successfulrevolt. These attributions have largely influenced theart,cuisine,literature,music,religion as well as thelanguages ofHaiti.
Two languages are spoken in Haiti. French is taught in schools and known by about 42% of the population,[1] but spoken by a minority of black and biracial residents, inPort-au-Prince and other cities.Haitian Creole, with roots in French, Spanish, Taino, Portuguese, English, and African languages, is a language with dialectal forms in different regions. It is spoken throughout the country, but is used extensively in rural areas.[2]
Brilliant colors,naïve perspective, and sly humor characterize Haitian art. Big, delectable foods and lush landscapes are favorite subjects in this land. Going to market is the most social activity of country life, and figures prominently into the subject matter. Jungle animals, rituals, dances, and gods evoke the African past.
Artists paint in fable as well. People are disguised as animals and animals are transformed into people. Symbols take on great meaning. For example, a rooster often represents Aristide and the red and blue colors of the flag of Haiti, often represent his Lavalas party.
Many artists cluster in 'school' ofpainting, such as theCap-Haïtien school, which features depictions of daily life in the city, the Jacmel School, which reflects the steep mountains and bays of that coastal town, or the Saint-Soleil School, which is characterized by abstracted human forms, and is heavily influenced by Vodou symbolism.
Haiti's most famous monuments are theSans-Souci Palace and theCitadelle Laferrière, inscribed as aWorld Heritage Site in 1982.[3] Situated in the NorthernMassif de la Hotte, in one of Haiti's National Parks, the structures date from the early 19th century.[4] The buildings were among the first to be built after Haiti's independence from France.
Jacmel, the colonial city that was tentatively accepted as a World Heritage site, is reported to be extensively damaged by the2010 Haiti earthquake.[4]
Residential buildings of wealthy individuals inHaiti during theGingerbread era, between the 1880s and the 1920s, had a unique architecture that combined the local traditions and adaptation of foreign influences. The adaptation was influenced by many factors including manuals of styles that were circulated from Europe and North America, Haitian architects who studied abroad, and French artisans who set up woodworking shops to train Haitian artisans.[5] Those Gingerbread houses were highly decorative withfretworks,latticeworks with patterns that are unique to Haiti. The structures of this style typically have large windows and doors, tall ceilings, large attics, and deep porches.[6][7]
Since the earthquake of 2010, architecture has taken a huge turn. With damages at an estimated 10 million dollars, architectural measures were taken immediately. Directly after the earthquakeArticle 25 of the UK gained about 350 architects in 2010 looking to help rebuild Haiti. There was also a great effort made by the U.S. through theArchitecture for Humanity effort that was initiated after the earthquake. The architecture style became very reasonable and involved minimalistic and functional style to help rebuild the damage in the most efficient way possible. There has also been a strong initiative to build moreopen-air clinics that are designed with health precautions as a huge priority.[8][9]
The French influences in Haiti are present in their cuisine, but more so it is representative of their location in theCaribbean. They do however have their own flavor as a result of the lack of Spanish influence on their island compared to others in the Caribbean. The cooking style used in Haiti is predominately Creole and includes heavy use of pepper in the majority of their dishes. A main staple in Haiti Is starch, and many of their dishes include potatoes, rice, corn, beans, and plantains.
There is also a strong presence of tropical fruits in their cuisine due to their ability to grow in thetropical climate. This includes pineapples, coconuts, mangoes, and other fruits that are used for many dishes and beverages. Food also has importance in religious and status-symbol type forms. Foods that are considered delicacies in Haiti include French inspired cheeses and meats and are a symbol of money and power. Typically these types of meals are only served in the richest part of Haiti, namely in the capital ofPort-au-Prince. As far as religious meals go, the Catholics in Haiti typically enjoy more elaborate meals during Christmas Eve.
Haiti has the potential to become the fashion capital of the Caribbean due to its recent contributions and success in the industry. Haiti's culture is woven in its use of fabrics and forms of garments, which differs from many other countries, giving more focus towards color and volume with many ruffles which makes it unique; gradually making a name for itself in the fashion industry for its creativity, diversity and sustainability incorporatingenvironmental-friendly processes in its materials, which has led to a rise in aspiring Haitian fashion designers throughout the country.[10]
In Haiti, there is a variety of fashion ranging from the more traditional attire to the day-to-day clothing. The traditional female attire consist ofQuadrille (or Karabela) dress. The dresses are made of a sturdy material that mainly comes in blue and red, which is usually made from an off-the-shoulder top or bodice with a full matching skirt that is embellished with additional ruffles, lace, or rickrack to add color and visual appeal. A head-scarf or turban can also be worn especially in the more rural areas of Haiti for both traditional and day-to-day use. The traditional male attire consists of a wedding shirt (guayabera) made of lightweight fabrics and are worn untucked with a jacket of any color on top.[11]
Haiti's textile industry and its moniker ‘Made In Haiti’ has been long-established in being a key export for the country which has focused on low-end commodity apparel through the use of its low-wage sweatshops that have sewed for some of the biggest American apparel brands such asAmerican Eagle Outfitters,Calvin Klein,DKNY,Hanes,Levi Strauss & Co.,Nordstrom andRalph Lauren.[12]
The typical day-to-day clothes that most Haitians wear are second-hand clothes that are known aspepe.[13] Largely stemming from the 1960s, the practice of sending and receiving pepe began. Today, you can find pepe being sold by street vendors at a price that is affordable for most Haitians. The majority of pepe that arrive on the island have been donated by Americans to charities and collection centers."[14]
The first document ofHaitian literature is the collective textActe de l'Indépendance de la République d'Haïti (Haitian Declaration of Independence). Since then, Haitian literary culture has been ever-growing and vibrant, recognized both at home and abroad with award-winning authors and large-scale literary events locally[15] and internationally.[16]
Haitian music combines a wide range of influences drawn from the many people who have settled on this Caribbean island. It reflects French, African rhythms, Spanish elements and others who have inhabited the island ofHispaniola and minor nativeTaino influences. Styles of music unique to the nation ofHaiti include music derived fromVodou ceremonial traditions,rara parading music,twoubadouballads,mini-jazz rock bands,rasin movement,hip hop kreyòl, the wildly popularcompas,[17] andméringue as its basic rhythm.
Very popular today iscompas, short forcompas direct, made popular byNemours Jean-Baptiste, on a recording released in 1955. The name derives fromcompás, the Spanish word meaning rhythm or tones. It involves mostly medium-to-fast tempo beats with an emphasis onelectric guitars,synthesizers, and either a solo altosaxophone, ahorn section or the synthesizer equivalent. InCreole, it is spelled askonpa dirèk or simplykonpa. It is commonly spelled as it is pronounced askompa.[18]
Dancing is an important part of Haitian social life. Used for celebrations such as church socials and informal parties, rituals, as well as evenings out with friends. In small restaurants, social dance music is provided by relatively smalltwoubadou groups, while larger clubs with big dance floors often feature dance bands reminiscent of theTropicana Club of Havana, Cuba. Social dance music has been one of the most heavily creolized music forms in Haiti. Creolized dance forms mixed from African traditions, Arawak/Taino, European and developed distinct local origins:
In the decades after 1804, when Haiti became the first independent black republic, southern whites in the United States were concerned that the example of a successful slave insurrection would inspire a similar revolt on their plantations. Since the early nineteenth century, then, white U.S. fiction about Haiti has been concerned with the depiction of Haitians as savages, consumed by a thirst for white blood. Negative stereotyping of Haitians by white writers has persisted to the present in the form of movies and books that transform the religion of Haitians from a healing ceremony into a satanic ritual.
The most festive time of the year in Haiti is duringCarnival (referred to asKanaval inHaitian Creole orMardi Gras). The festivities start in February. The cities are filled with music, parade floats, and people dancing and singing in the streets. Carnival week is traditionally a time of all-night parties and escape from daily life. This is a significant time for Haitian musicians for an opportunity to showcase their talents and expand their audience by performing for Carnival crowds.Rara, a festival which occurs beforeEaster, is celebrated by a significant number of the population as well, and its celebration has been led torara music becoming a style ofCarnival music. Many of the youth also attend parties and enjoy themselves at nightclubs calleddiscos, (pronounced "deece-ko") (not like the discos of theU.S), and attendBal. This term derives from the wordballad, and these events are often celebrated by crowds of many people.
| Carnaval des Fleurs | Kanaval | Koudyay | Rasin Festival |
| Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival | Kompa | Kalenda | |
| Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival | Rara | Rabòday | Rara an deyò |
| Haitian Defile Kanaval | Fèt Drapo | Fèt Gede | |
| Plaine-du-Nord Festival | Fèt Chanpèt | Fèt Patwonal |
Haiti is known for its richfolklore traditions. The country has many magical tales that are part of theHaitian Vodou tradition.Vodou, encompassing several different traditions, consists of a mix of Central and Western African, European, and Native American (Taíno) religions is also widely practiced, despite the negative stigma that it carries both in and out of the country. The exact number of Vodou practitioners is unknown; however, it is believed that a large amount of the population practice it, often alongside theirChristian faith. Some secular Christians also have been known to participate in some rituals, although indirectly.
Haiti is similar to the rest of Latin America, in that it is a predominantlyChristian country (96%), with 80%Roman Catholic and approximately 16% professingProtestantism. A small population ofMuslims andHindus exist in the country, principally in the capital ofPort-au-Prince.
Haiti'straditional knowledge found its first prominent champion in the ethnographerJean Price-Mars, whose seminalSo spoke the uncle (in FrenchAinsi parla L'oncle) argued in favor of a greater respect and appreciation of Haiti's African-rooted, largely oral-based peasant culture. Since then numerous authors and thinkers have documented the country's rich and complex traditional knowledge, whether it be in its approach to education and morality,[21] architecture and construction,[22] or botany and medicine.[23]
Football is the most popular sport in Haiti, thoughbasketball is growing in popularity.[24] Hundreds of small football clubs compete at the local level.[24]Stade Sylvio Cator is themulti-purpose stadium inPort-au-Prince,Haiti, where it is currently used mostly forassociation football matches that fits a capacity of 30,000 people.
Samuel Dalembert andOlden Polynice are former NBA players born in Haiti.
Haitian football playerJoseph Gaetjens played for theUnited States national team in the1950 FIFA World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the 1–0 upset ofEngland.
In the early 20th century, it was reported thatcockfighting was also a popular sport, though its popularity has since faded.[25]
Ludovic Augustin,Ludovic Valborge,Destin Destine,Astrel Rolland,Eloi Metullus won the country's first Olympic Medal in the Men's team free rifle at the1924 Summer Olympics.[26]
Silvio Cator was a Haitian long jumper who won gold in the men'sLong Jump at the1928 Summer Olympics. He is also a former world record holder in the event.[27]
Dudley Dorival is the first Haitian to win a World Champion Medal at the2001 World Championships in Athletics in the men's110m Hurdles.[28]
1996 Olympic Games Gold Medalist for CanadaBruny Surin was born inCap-Haïtien. He also Holds the National Record over100m forCanada.[29]
Olympian, Pan American Games medalist and World Indoor Championship Gold MedalistBarbara Pierre was born in Haiti. She also represented Haiti at the2008 Olympic Games.[30]
2020 Olympic GamesGold MedalistWadeline Jonathas was born inGonaïves.[31]
FormerNFL playersPierre Garçon andElvis Dumervil are of Haitian descent.
Professional boxerAndre Berto is of Haitian descent.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)The shotgun house of Port-au-Prince became, quite directly, the shotgun house of New Orleans.