Rastafari

Rastafari
Family	New religious movement / African diaspora
Origin region	Jamaica
Founding period	1930s CE onward
Estimated adherents	A global movement with communities in Jamaica, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, North America, and beyond.

Rastafari is rastafari is a religious, cultural, and political movement that emerged in Jamaica, emphasizing African identity, resistance to oppression, biblical interpretation, repatriation, and reverence for Haile Selassie I in many forms of the movement.

Overview

Rastafari developed among Black Jamaicans in the 20th century in response to colonialism, racism, biblical interpretation, and Pan-African thought. It has no single centralized authority and includes diverse mansions, interpretations, and practices. Music, especially reggae, helped spread Rastafari symbols and language globally.

Key beliefs

• Jah as the living God
• Haile Selassie I understood by many Rastafari as divine, messianic, or providential
• Africa, especially Ethiopia, as spiritual homeland
• Babylon as a symbol of oppressive worldly systems
• Liberation, dignity, natural living, and resistance to colonial mentality

Practices

• Reasoning gatherings
• Nyabinghi drumming and chanting
• Ital diet and natural living in many communities
• Dreadlocks as a covenantal or identity symbol for many adherents
• Use of cannabis as sacrament in some communities

Places of worship

• Reasoning circle
• Nyabinghi gathering place
• Home and community spaces

Sacred texts

• Bible, especially interpreted through Black liberation and Ethiopian themes
• Holy Piby in some historical contexts
• Speeches and writings of Haile Selassie I and Marcus Garvey in movement memory

Holidays and observances

• Coronation Day of Haile Selassie I
• Earthstrong of Haile Selassie I
• Grounation Day
• Ethiopian Christmas in some communities

Branches and related traditions

• Nyabinghi - One of the major mansions or currents within Rastafari.
• Bobo Ashanti - A Rastafari mansion with distinctive communal and liturgical practices.
• Twelve Tribes of Israel - A Rastafari organization with biblical tribal symbolism.

See also

• Religion
• Theology
• Philosophy of religion
• New Religious Movements
• Indigenous and Traditional Religions