Culture of Trinidad

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Culture of Trinidad

According to the encyclopedia, culture is defined as “The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought [www.wikipedia.com].” In Trinidad these particular aspects are very distinct to the people's daily lives on the island. The diversity of actual cultures and ethnicities on the island has melted together over the centuries to create a Trinidadian culture of its own. There are influences from almost every part of the world including, India, China, the United States, Lebanon, Spain, Britian, Africa, and cultures native the Caribbean.

Religion is one the most important aspects defining culture. There is no one dominant faith on the island of Trinidad. According to a statistic in 1990, approximately 31 percent are Catholic (including 11 percent Anglican, 7 percent Pentecostal, 4 percent Seventh-Day Adventist, 3 percent Presbyterian/Congregational, and 3 percent Baptist), 29 percent of the population are practicing or technically Roman Catholic, 24 percent are Hindu, and 6 percent are Muslim [www.state.gov.htm]. Also a small number of people practice traditional native religions and or African religions as well. Often these last two are practiced along with any of the other faiths. Although it may be a small number of individuals who practice native and or African religions, certain aspects or celebrations from these religions are integral to the overall culture of Trinidad. Voodoo is one example of a West African religion that has been carried over to the island on the slave ships of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Orisha is a specific spirit or belief in Voodoo that is one of the more commonly practiced on Trinidad...

... middle of paper ...

... all filled with brilliant colors and scenes. It last for five days beginning with the King and Queen contest and ending with the Parade of the Bands [www.carnaval.com]

While there are many other components to culture on the island of Trinidad, these can be named as the most defining aspects. Carnival is a celebration and display of all aspects and diversities of culture on the island. Trinidad's culture is defined by a merging of many. The fact that this sort of integration in able to strive and be celebrated in such brilliance, is an example of how diversity can be celebrated and accepted.

Work Cited

A History of Modern Trinidad 1783-1962., Bridget Brereton., Heinemann Educational Books Inc.: New Hampshire. 1981.

[www.carnaval.com]

[www.iadb.org]

[www.nationmaster.com]

[www.pilotguide.com]

[www.state.gov.htm]

[www.trininiew.com]

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