{"id":6617,"date":"2016-04-14T16:05:48","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T21:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/voodoouniverse\/?p=6617"},"modified":"2024-11-01T14:41:46","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T19:41:46","slug":"the-why-of-whites-clothing-that-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/voodoouniverse\/2016\/04\/the-why-of-whites-clothing-that-is\/","title":{"rendered":"The Why Of Whites \u2013 Clothing That Is"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Statue<\/a>
Statue of Obatala in Bahia. Courtesy of wikimedia<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Many are immediately impressed by the attire of the Afro-Diasporic traditions. A sacred sea of multi-colored bodies covered in pure white is a stunning and impressive visual treat to see. White clothing is not limited to the Haitian Vodou Religion, Umbanda, Candomble, or Lucumi (Santeria,) many different religions from Druids to Christians understand, and appreciate the ritual nature of white dress. \u00a0The sanctity of white is immediately apparent. It\u2019s use functions on many different levels. It is a challenge to remain clean, and this is blatantly obvious to anyone who has ever put on whites. The\u00a0clothing itself has often reminded me of it\u2019s delicacy.<\/p>\n

In Lucumi \u00a0(Santeria) the custom is to morifibale to your seniors in the tradition. Your body lies and turns on the ground in front of the elder to receive a blessing and to offer respect. In this tradition the clothes are symbolic of the Orisha Obatala, the King of the White Cloth. There are many patakis, or ritual myths, about how he needed to understand cleanliness, and humility through this clothing choice. One popular story tells of how he took a journey to visit his son, King Chango. Despite several mishaps along the way, where he was dirtied, he decided to continue . When he arrived, he was mistaken for a beggar and jailed. The story shows how important it is to maintain your appearance and reputation, and to listen to the warning signs when they are given. The book Santeria<\/a><\/strong> by my late friend Luis Nunez, describes Obatala as \u201cObatala is the supreme divinity on the terrestrial plane. He\u00a0represents such a refined purity, that it cannot be described\u00a0through words or songs. He is reason and justice and all that is\u00a0moral. \u201d It is these qualities that come to light when the white clothing is employed.<\/p>\n

\"Umbanda<\/a>
Umbanda photo by Aline Scaravelli<\/a>. Licensed under CC 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Everyone\u2019s experience with wearing white as part of a ritual is uniquely different, and oddly similar. I asked a few Afro-Diasporic practitioners what the process felt like for them:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time I wore whites was for my headwashing. Getting clothes for that ceremony and using those clothes only in ceremonies allows me to enter the headspace for a ritual. It makes me feel more open and connected to the moment. Wearing whites also makes me feel more connected to the other participants. We\u2019re all united in this spiritual moment and that\u2019s reflected in what we\u2019re wearing. The whites I have now are the ones I wore when I was first initiated. I feel the echo of that magic whenever I put them on. I feel cleaner, lighter, and more serene.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rather simple act of dressing in all white physically and subconsciously effects the\u00a0world around you. For me the white symbolizes purity of mind, open to receive the\u00a0blessing of the ritual ahead. \u201d<\/p>\n

There is a lot more to be said about white clothing than I can cover in this blog post, so stay tuned for more on this topic. In the meantime, please let me know about your feelings, and impressions about wearing white ? Do you wear ritual white in a tradition other than those mentioned here? Please leave your thoughts and comments below, and remember to share, share, share!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

White clothing is not limited to the Haitian Vodou Religion, Umbanda, or Lucumi (Santeria,) many different religions from Druids to Christians understand and appreciate the ritual nature of white dress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1625,"featured_media":6637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,8,49],"tags":[800,31,294,797,799,5],"class_list":["post-6617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-candomble","category-santeria-2","category-vodou-2","tag-king-of-the-white-cloth","tag-lucumi","tag-obatala","tag-ritual-clothing","tag-ritual-white","tag-santeria"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Why Of Whites \u2013 Clothing That Is<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"White clothing is not limited to the Haitian Vodou Religion, Umbanda, or Lucumi (Santeria,) many different religions from Druids to Christians understand and appreciate 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