Dominican culture and traditions

Dominican Culture: An Overview

The Dominican Republic is unique from all other Latin American nations in part because it's heritage relates to Haitian cultural traditions rather than solely Spanish ones, much like the rest of Latin America (Brown & Standish, 1999). In fact, the Dominican Republic received its independence from Haiti not Spain (Brown & Standish, 1999). This is not to say that Spanish colonial influences are not evident in the country; in fact they are widespread, particularly within the realm of architectural structures and art.

The official religion of the Dominican Republic is Roman Catholicism (Brown & Standish, 1999:69). More than 90% of the citizens living in this country are Roman Catholic. There are other religions prevalent in the country however including Protestantism and the traditional religious system of native Taino Indians, who practice cohoba religious ceremonies and also Gaga, which is the Dominican version of voodooism (Brown & Standish, 1999). For this reason some cultural aspects of the religion are seen by outsiders as 'evil' or foreign, because they are largely misunderstood.

Customs in the Dominican Republic are though to originate in part from the Cibao area, settled back in colonial times (Brown & Standish, 1999). This area brings with it many native traditions including traditional foods consumed within the Dominican Republic, discussed below.

Common foods include coffee, hot cocoa, ham and cheese, fruit, papaya and friend eggs (Brown & Standish, 1999). These may be served at any time of day. Common desserts served include sweetened fruit compotes generally made with fruits such as guava and pineapple (Brown & Standish, 1999). One popular dish served on special occasions is called sancocho, and is a stew that is made of root vegetables and meats including pork, sausage, goat, chicken and bacon, flavored with a spice called malegueta (Brown & Standish, 1999). Lunch is traditionally one of the longest meals, where Dominicans spend a good deal of time talking with each other, debating and joking, and children are typically included in this affair (Brown & Standish, 1999). Dinner, often eaten after 8 pm, is usually very light and may include a selection of light entrees including salads and soups (Brown & Standish, 1999).

The Dominicans practice a tradition referred to as cafecito or little coffee, where coffee is served in a demitasse any time of the day workers want a break (Brown & Standish, 1999). Once drunk, the cup is turned over and the patterns left inside the cup observed and interpreted, thought to relate some sort of prophecy about the coffee drinker (Brown & Standish, 1999).

The society within the Dominican Republic is divided and unequal; there are many gaps between classes of citizens and marked differences between the clothing, homes, language and opportunities available for different individuals (Kryzanek & Wiarda, 1992). Generally at the top of the social class spectrum are Caucasians with European backgrounds; those at the bottom are generally black, poor and usually decedents of slaves or recent arrivals from Haiti (Kryzanek & Wiarda, 1992).

Much of the middle class of the population comes from a mulatto background (Kryzanek & Wiarda, 1992). Almost 80% of the population lives in poverty (Kryzanek & Wiarda, 1992). This is most evident in cities where poor neighborhoods are evident filled with "naked children, malnutrition, and the unemployed and open sewers" (Kryzanek & Wiarda, 1992, p. 60).

At the heart of traditional Dominican culture is music, dance and art, which reflect a variety of different cultures that have influenced the area over time (Lonely Planet, 2004). Among the more popular forms of music and dance is the meringue, followed by the bachata which is a kind of Dominican country music (Lonely Planet, 2004).

Though Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Language, other languages are spoken frequently including English and some French Dialects (Brown & Standish, 1999).

Within the Dominican Republic primary education is compulsory up to six grades, though generally only 17% of schools in rural areas offer all these grades (U.S.L.C., 2004). Generally the enrollment is low and drop out rate high, in part because poor students generally are required to purchase their own textbooks (U.S.L.C., 2004). Despite this strides have been made to engage more students in higher education and learning and a number of collegiate level institutions have recently opened in the country (U.S.L.C., 2004).