Santería
/santeˈɾia/noun
A Cuban-derived Afro-Caribbean religion blending Yoruba spiritual traditions with elements of Roman Catholicism.
Did you know?Santería developed through the religious blending of Yoruba traditions and Catholic practices, with orishas often associated with Catholic saints—a strategy shaped by colonial pressure and cultural survival.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sak-
“To make sacred or set apart through ritual.”
Classical Latin
Latin
sanctus
“Holy, consecrated, or set apart as sacred.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
sanctus
“A holy person or saint, especially within Christian usage.”
Old Spanish
Spanish
santo
“Saint or holy person; the ordinary Spanish descendant of Latin sanctus.”
18th–19th Century
Spanish
santería
“Devotion to saints; the term was also used for Afro-Cuban religious practices centered on saint imagery and Yoruba-derived worship.”
Modern English
English
Santería
“The Afro-Cuban religion commonly known by this name, also called Regla de Ocha or Lucumí.”