WHAT IS THE CULTURAL ORIGIN OF VENEZUELAN SOCIETY? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The cultural origin of Venezuelan society dates back to Christopher Columbus's third trip to America. Alonso Ojeda, in charge of the exploration, named this region "little Venice", because the houses of the aborigines in the current of the Orinoco river and the stilt houses, reminded him of the Italian city Venice.

Columbus's voyages were the first contact between European civilizations and the aboriginal civilizations of the American continent. This meeting gave rise to the culture of the societies we know today, which take elements from European, aboriginal and African societies.

This is why, to a certain extent, Latin American cultures have certain elements in common, such as gastronomy and religion.

In particular, the culture of Venezuela is the result of the interaction between various African cultures and Spanish culture, since it was the Spanish who conquered this country and the culture of the Caribs, Timotocuicas, Pemons and other Venezuelan aboriginal groups.

Similarly, Venezuela has allowed the entry of other cultures that come to the country through a process of migration; Portuguese, Italians, Germans, Jews, Chinese and Arabs are just some of the cultural groups that can be found in the country.

This is why Venezuela has a very rich culture, since it takes traditions and elements from various groups. To see this richness, below, it delves into some outstanding aspects of Venezuelan culture.

Ethnic groups

Of the various ethnic groups that make up the Venezuelan population, approximately 70% are mestizo, which means that they are a mixture of Spanish, African and aboriginal. 20% are white Europeans, 10% are African, while only 1% of the population is Aboriginal.

Language

The official language of Venezuela is Spanish, which was introduced into the territory during the 16th century through colonization.

It should be noted that there are still 25 aboriginal languages ​​belonging to three indigenous linguistic families mentioned above: the Caribs, the Arawaks and the Chibcha. Words like “arepa”, one of the most significant foods in Venezuela, and “casabe”, a kind of yucca-based cookie, come from the aboriginal languages.

On the other hand, in the coastal region of Venezuela, the influence of African languages ​​can be observed. Likewise, certain words in Spanish are African words adapted to the pronunciation of Spanish, such as:

1 - Bululú: Great concentration of people.

2 - Bemba: prominent lips.

3 - Zambo: Son of an African and an Aboriginal.

4 - Mambo: Party.

5 - Banana: Banana or banana.

6 - Bochinche: disorder generated by a group of people, uproar.

7 - Maid: Servant.

8 - Speck: kinky hair.

9 - Tripe: Stomach of the cow.

10 - Tongo: Trap.

In addition to this, other foreign languages ​​are spoken such as English, French, Italian (in the Italian-Venezuelan community of Aragua state, for example), German (in Colonia Tovar, Aragua state), Arabic, Chinese and Portuguese.

Religion

Most of the Venezuelan population is Catholic, almost 90%, as a result of the process of conversion to Catholicism that took place during the colonization through the missions.

For their part, most of the religious practices of the aborigines were lost during the conquest, when the native Venezuelans were decimated by the Spanish.

The surviving indigenous population preserves some religious rites. However, this part of the population does not usually interact with the rest of Venezuelans; this is why aboriginal religious traditions are not part of the national culture.

Due to its geographical position and the interaction of various cultures, Caribbean religions have developed and are practiced in Venezuela. The most outstanding is the cult of María Lionza, which is based on divination.

María Lionza was a curandera daughter of a Venezuelan aborigine and a Creole woman; It is usually represented next to the Negro Felipe and the chief Guacaipuro and together they constitute the Three Powers. In this sense, the cult of María Lionza combines traditional elements of the aborigines and the Africans.

Another Caribbean religion practiced in Venezuela is Santeria, originally from Cuba. Unlike the cult of María Lionza, Santeria combines elements of Spanish cultures (Catholicism) and African cultures, mainly the Yoruba people (originally from West Africa).

It should be noted that since 1980, Protestant churches have grown in importance, especially Adventists, Evangelicals, and Mormons; currently 8% of the population is Protestant.

Similarly, there are certain Jewish communities (mainly in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and in Maracaibo). These communities are grouped into two organizations: the Asociación Israelita Venezolana and the Unión Israelita de Venezuela and Muslim communities.

Secular celebrations

In Venezuela, there are a number of officially recognized festivities. Christmas and New Years are two of the best known. The celebration of Christmas was introduced by the Spanish, who copied it from the Germans (the first to celebrate the birth of Jesus).

In addition to New Years and Christmas, there are a large number of holidays related to religion, to history. Carnival is one of the most joyous, which is celebrated on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (according to the Catholic calendar). Other important dates are:

1 - July 24, the day on which the birth of the Liberator Simón Bolívar is commemorated.

2 - October 12, day of indigenous resistance

3 - On September 7, the day of the Virgen del Valle.

4 - Day of the Virgin of Fatima, patron saint of Portugal.

Music and dance

The traditional musical instruments of Venezuela are also the result of the combination of European, African and indigenous cultures. Before the arrival of the Spanish, Venezuelan aborigines used bone-carved flutes, clay whistles, seashell trumpets, and maracas.

With the colonization and the arrival of the Spanish and the Africans, other instruments were introduced into Venezuelan culture, such as the cuatro, the national musical instrument, and the drum.

Among the typical musical styles of Venezuela, the llanera music stands out (such as "Florentino y el Diablo" and "Caballo Viejo" by Simón Díaz) and the bagpipe, a genre from the state of Zulia, generally played during Christmas.

The national dance of Venezuela is the joropo, of Spanish origin but danced with songs played on stringed instruments that have African origin.

In this regard, Venezuela has also been influenced by Cuban culture and by the culture of the Caribbean in general, since salsa (dance and musical style originating in Cuba) is a style practiced by Venezuelans.

Literature

Venezuelan literature began to develop shortly after the colonization of the Spanish and is strongly influenced by the literature of Spain.

One of the most famous writers in Venezuela is Andrés Bello (1781-1865), known for his writings on politics and literature. Rómulo Gallegos is also a renowned Venezuelan writer, among his works include "Doña Bárbara", "Canaima" and "La climber".

Other Venezuelan authors are: Teresa de la Parra, Andrés Eloy Blanco, Miguel Otero Silva (author of "Dead Houses", "When I want to cry, I do not cry" and "The death of Honorius") and Arturo Uslar Pietri.

Gastronomy

Gastronomy, being a cultural element, is also an amalgamation between the various cultural groups that make up Venezuela.

The arepa, which is a symbol of Venezuela, was originally made by the aborigines. As for the Hallas, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish (cornmeal bun stuffed with meat stew, wrapped in banana leaves).

Arturo Uslar Pietri points out that there is no greater sample of miscegenation than the Hallaca, since it combines raisins and olives of the Romans and Greeks, the capers of the Arabs, the meat of cattle from Castile, and the corn and leaves of banana of the indigenous Venezuelans.

On the other hand, in Venezuela dishes such as Madrid tripe, Spanish omelette, casserole with seafood, paella and anise donuts are common, which come from Spain.

Symbols of Venezuelan culture

As has already been said, the arepa is probably the most representative symbol of Venezuela.

Another symbol of Venezuela is Lake Maracaibo and the bridge that crosses it, located in the state of Zulia, in the west of the country.

This body of water is about 200 km long and 120 km wide and connects to the Caribbean Sea. On the other hand, the coast of Venezuela reflects the symbiosis between Venezuela and South America and Venezuela and other Caribbean countries.

Venezuelans and their relationship with foreigners

Due to the diversity of the Venezuelan population, both ethnic and cultural, Venezuelans tend to accept immigrants from all countries and the levels of ethnic, religious and national racism are low.

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