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Haitian Culture
Family Life
The roles of women and men depend on the individual family. There are many single women, and separation is common, more so than divorce. In two parent households, both mothers and fathers work. Children have a responsibility to help clean the house, and, when they are old enough, get a job. Because the economic situation in Haiti is so difficult, everyone in the family must contribute. Children cannot talk back to their parents. Corporal punishment is widely used, and most children learn this lesson early in life.
Beliefs
Most Haitians are Christian, either Roman Catholic or Protestant. Church services in Haiti are very different than those we have seen in the U.S. Haitians have more music and singing and a joyous atmosphere in their churches. Many Catholics also practice elements of voodoo, which is not at all like the western stereotype. Voodoo is simply a belief in the role of family spirits in providing protection and good fortune to their descendants. On the other hand, most Haitian Protestants strongly oppose voodoo.
Language
There are two main languages in Haiti: Creole and French. Over 90% of the population speaks only Creole. Creole, or kreyol ayisyenis, is very different from English. It has its origins in West African languages and French. Creole uses the same alphabet as French, but the letters have different sounds and the grammatical rules are not the same. The two main dialects of Creole are Fablas and Plateau. Until 1987, Creole was looked down upon by the government. However, today Creole and French are the official languages of Haiti.
Dress
Students in private school wear uniforms. People wear colorful clothes which they often make themselves. Because Haiti has a really hot climate, we wear loose cool clothing, such as linen shirts and pants. Although it is not actually considered clothing, it is not unusual to see people carrying things in big baskets on their heads; this is how we buy many of our goods.
Food
For many people, food is difficult to come by. Over 76% of Haitians live on less than two American dollars per day. We eat lots of fresh produce, such as different kinds of bananas, mamey, and breadfruit. Since Haiti is located on an island, we eat a lot of fish. We also eat curry, rice, and beans. Piklis is a very popular dish made of shredded hot peppers fried with plantains. Many dishes are seasoned with epis, a mixture of spices, onions, and garlic. Our food is very spicy, and even little kids eat hot food that would make most Americans' eyes water.
Recreation
Haitian music is influenced by African, French, Dominican, and Cuban sounds. Many people like to listen to gospel music. We are very proud of the Fugees, a Grammy-winning band that was started by two Haitians. In fact, Wyclef Jean of the Fugees has not forgotten his roots and he is very active in charity work in Haiti. Haitian meringue is our national dance. Some people have parties called bamboches, where they enjoy singing and dancing. Everyone enjoys celebrating Carnival, which is a three-day long party. We watch some American action movies, as well as Haitian movies. Most Haitians like to go to the beach and swim. Soccer is the most popular sport. In the streets children play a type of football game, as well as lago (tag) and marelle (hopscotch).
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