n|story and Cu|ture |n Cuba

Slavery and Lhe esLabllshmenL of large planLaLlons began almosL lmmedlaLely afLer Luropean
colonlsaLlon 1he lndlgenous populaLlon was qulckly declmaLed by dlsease flghLlng and
malLreaLmenL
Cuba was also used as a base for Spanlsh Lreasure shlps and lL was from here LhaL Lhe Spanlsh
organlsed Lrlps Lo Lhe Amerlcas
Cuba was lnlLlally occupled for Lwo years by uS forces AfLer Lhelr wlLhdrawal ln 1901 Lhe uSA
malnLalned effecLlve pollLlcal and economlc conLrol of Lhe lsland whlle Cuba was governed by
a serles of corrupL dlcLaLors lncludlng lulgenclo 8aLlsLa and Carlos ro Socarrs
ln 1939 lldel CasLro overLurned Lhe hugely corrupL 8aLlsLa CovernmenL and esLabllshed a
soclallsL sLaLe All uS buslnesses were exproprlaLed ln 1960 and dlplomaLlc relaLlons beLween
Lhe Lwo counLrles were broken by Lhe uSACasLro declared Cuba a MarxlsLLenlnlsL sLaLe and
acceleraLed Lhe developmenL of close relaLlons wlLh Lhe SovleL unlon
ke||g|on 8oman CaLhollc ma[orlLy 1here are also mlnorlLy AfroCuban rellglons
Soc|a| convent|ons
A handshake ls Lhe normal form of greeLlng Cubans generally address each oLher as
companero buL vlslLors should use senor or senora
Some Cubans have Lwo surnames afLer Lhelr ChrlsLlan name Lhe flrsL surname ls Lhe correcL
one Lo use normal courLesles should be observed when vlslLlng someones home and a small
glfL may be glven lf lnvlLed for a meal Cuban men rarely wear shorLs away from Lhe beach
vlslLors dolng so are noL frowned upon buL Lhey may recelve Lhe odd sldeways glance
Women should cover Lhelr legs and shoulders lf vlslLlng churches Cuban women Lend Lo dress
up for evenlngs ouL

LlnuA
Iood and Dr|nk |n Cuba
Surprlslngly for an lsland so rlch ln marlne llfe flsh and seafood rarely Lop Lhe menu mosL
seafood ls exporLed Culslne ls a mlx of Spanlsh and AfroCarlbbean heavlly rellanL on rlce
beans chlcken and pork 8eglonal speclallLles
- Soup made of chlcken or black beans
- 8lack beans and rlce (known locally as Moors and ChrlsLlans)
- Chlcken or pork wlLh rlce or occaslonally lrench frles
- lanLalns baked or frled
- CmeleL's


Cuban Iest|va|s and Cuban 1rad|t|ons
New Lat|n Amer|can C|nema Iest|va|
llrsL held ln 1979 Lhls popular annual evenL Lakes place ln uecember each year Screenlngs
Lake place ln varlous clnemas ln Pavana and showcase Lhe very besL ln fllms from LaLln
Amerlca 1he focus ls very much on new clnema wlLh upandcomlng dlrecLors belng glven a
plaLform Lo showcase Lhelr movles Lo a blg audlence

uA18u!lLLCM

Internat|ona| 8a||et Iest|va| of navana
Cne of Lhe blggesL and besLloved evenLs of lLs klnd ln Lhe counLry Lhe lnLernaLlonal 8alleL
lesLlval of Pavana aLLracLs some of Lhe Lop dancers from around Lhe world who perform along
wlLh arLlsLs from Lhe counLrys own naLlonal 8alleL of Cuba 1he flrsL ever lnLernaLlonal 8alleL
lesLlval of Pavana was held ln 1960 and became a blennlal evenL from 1974 1o Lhls day Lhe
evenL conLlnues Lo be one of Lhe mosL presLlglous balleL fesLlvals ln Cuba
1he Cuban lesLlvals are a conflrmaLlon of Lhe Cuban CulLure and Cuban 1radlLlon 1he
lmporLanL Pavana fesLlvals are llsLed below
Iest|va| de| nabano
1he lesLlval del Pabano ls held each year ln lebruary ln Lhe Pavana ConvenLlon Pall (alaclo
de Convenclones) 1hls ls a fesLlval for excluslve Pavana clgar dlsLrlbuLors clgar manufacLures
suppllers of Lhe clgar lndusLry crafLsmen and collecLors smokers clubs and Cuban clgar lovers
navana Carn|va| (Carnava| de |a nabana)
1hls evenL ls held each year aL Lhe end of !uly along Lhe Pavana Malecon Lhe Pavana seaslde
boulevard Many colorful dance and muslc groups from dlfferenL Pavana nelghborhoods
parade ln Pavana 1he rooLs for Lhls Pavana Carnlval go back Lo Lhe anclenL slave and Afro
Cuban LradlLlons
Internat|ona| Iazz Iest|va|
1hls [azz fesLlval ls held on Lhe 14 17 Lh lebruary aL Lhe 1eaLro Amadeo 8oldn
navana Internat|ona| 8ook Ia|r
S1LIANIA


Cuban 1rad|t|ons
Cuban 1radlLlons are sLrongly lnfluenced by Lhe facL LhaL Lhe Cuban populaLlon ls a mlx of
dlfferenL eLnlc orlglns 1he long Llme occupaLlon of Cuba by Lhe Spanlsh colonlzers Lhe
masslve lmporL of Afrlcan slaves lnfluences from Lhe nearby unlLed SLaLes made from Cuba a
melLlng poL of races culLures and LradlLlons
Cuban no||day 1rad|t|ons
Cuba was longLlme an ALhelsL counLry buL ln 1997 ChrlsLmas was resLored as LradlLlonal
hollday durlng Lhe vlslL of ope !ohn aul ll 1he Cuban ChrlsLmas celebraLlons are for many
Cubans a famlly feasL Lhe emphasls ls on Lhe [oy and gaLherlng wlLh Lhe famlly Cn noche
8uena ChrlsLmas Lve famlly and frlends gaLher LogeLher and have a LradlLlonal ChrlsLmas
feasL wlLh roasLed plg black beans and rlce (Moros y CrlsLlanos) frled planLalns yuca and
desserLs llke Arroz con leche (rlce puddlng) or rum cake

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