Christians, what is Santeria?

Okay now, go easy on me because I don't practice Santeria - I ain't got no crystal ball.

Well, I had a million dollars but I...I'd spent it all...

I'm trying to answer this question, but what I really want to say I just can't define.

Santeria is a religion that is part voodoo and part Catholicism that's practiced in some Caribbean nations. Natives took the teachings of missionaries and combined it with voodoo.

I lived in South Florida for many years where immigrants from these islands that practiced Santeria would sacrifice an animal and leave its remains in a public place. It was a real problem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/santeria/

Santeria is a cross between a form of Christianity and a form of voodoo commonly practiced in some parts of Latin America.

Santeria is the combination of African indigenous beliefs (mainly from the Yoruba) with Spanish Catholicism. It is not Vodou or Voodoo; Voodoo is a separate belief system practiced in Haiti, a pancreatic religion of indigenous African beliefs (mainly from the Fon and Ewe) and French Catholicism.

Santeros believe in spirits called Krisha's, African gods who have been synchronized with their Catholic equivalents. Some varieties of Santeria are more influenced by Catholicism and Catholic rituals than others. Each Irish has a particular song and dance and a particular favorite sacrifice. The Santeros become possessed by the Krisha's during their ceremonies.

I'm not going to answer the question - it's already been answered a few times...

My observation is this:

A few of the answers were statements of fact, not opinion. The facts are verifiable. Why would an answer that covers the question, devoid of opinion, get a Thumbs Down? Santeria HAS a definition - look it up if you don't believe the poster and REFUTE them if you find better information. But to give it a Thumbs Down without seeing if it's false...?

What kind of idiots do that?

> Jimmer <

This question (and the subsequent answers) is a fine example of why Yahoo! Answers sucks. The only fact based answers are greeted with thumbs down and the most exhaustive of fact based answers has the most thumbs down!

The user 'Aonghas' correctly identified Santer?a for what it is and properly distinguished it from Voudoo while giving examples of the practitioners religious exercises. (S)he deserves Best Answer.