Iyabó And The Tourists - Trinidad, Cuba Editorial Image

A male Iyabó initiate crosses the cobblestone street carrying a white umbrella. Meanwhile, a group of tourist chat in the background. Both male and female initiates of the Santeria religion are called iyabó for the first year after initiation, and this one-year period is called the iyaworaje (pronounced: ya-woh-RA-hay). It's a time when the iyabó experiences limitations and prohibitions in terms of behavior, food, dress, contact with other people, and many other aspects of daily life. The year is a period of purification and rejuvination, as the iyabó gets used to interacting with the Orichás in a more intimate way.