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T &T is a multi-religious society. Many Christian
denominations are represented, including Church of England, Church
of Scotland, Methodist, Baptist, Moravian, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Pentecostal and Catholic. Catholics and Presbyterians used to be
the majority, but the Evangelical churches and the Baptists have
steadily grown. Hinduism came to T & T with the indentured Indians in 1845 and is widely practised today. Hindus celebrate the triumph of good over evil with the festival of lights, called Diwali, in November. Most people put lights on their houses and yards. It is a visual delight. Often people fast for days before the festival. Islam has a noticeable following. Muslims celebrate their annual religious holidays such as the feast of Eid-al-Fitr at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It is a time of thanksgiving. In recent times the Black Muslim movement has attracted some Afro-Trinidadians to Islam. |
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Orisha, a traditional African religion, has
recently been acknowledged by Parliament. It is a belief system based
on nature and includes a rich mythology and lifestyle guidelines.
Orisha followers celebrate a festival called Oshun, in which they
clean the banks of the river and make offerings to the sea.
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