Rastafari is a non-missionary religion. [436] However, elders from Jamaica often go "trodding" to instruct new converts in the fundamentals of the religion. [437] On researching English Rastas during the 1970s, Cashmore noted that they had not converted instantaneously, but rather had undergone "a process of drift" through which they gradually adopted Rasta beliefs and practices, resulting in their ultimate acceptance of Haile Selassie's central importance. [438] Based on his research in West Africa, Neil J. Savishinsky found that many of those who converted to Rastafari came to the religion through their pre-existing use of marijuana as a recreational drug. [439] Francis, Wigmoore (2013). "Towards a Pre-History of Rastafari". Caribbean Quarterly. 59 (2): 51–72. doi: 10.1080/00086495.2013.11672483. S2CID 142117564. Simpson, George Eaton (1985). "Religion and Justice: Some Reflections on the Rastafari Movement". Phylon. 46 (4): 286–291. doi: 10.2307/274868. JSTOR 274868. This emblem symbolizes Zion or the Promised Land/Ethiopia. It also represents the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, whose birth name was Ras Tafari and after whom the Rastafari religion is named. Haile Selassie is believed to be a king and Rastafarians believe that the mention in the Bible of a Lion of Judah is in reference to him. 2. The Star of David

Myles Osborne: Rites, Rights, Rastafari! Statehood and Statecraft in Jamaica, c. 1930–1961. In: Journal of Social History,. Band 55, Nr. 1, S. 210–212, doi: 10.1093/jsh/shaa057 (Fall 2021). Rastas seek to produce food "naturally", [153] eating what they call ital, or "natural" food. [293] This is often grown organically, [294] and locally. [270] Most Rastas adhere to the dietary laws outlined in the Book of Leviticus, and thus avoid eating pork or crustaceans. [295] Other Rastas remain vegetarian, [296] or vegan, [297] a practice stemming from their interpretation of Leviticus. [f] [298] Many also avoid the addition of additives, including sugar and salt, to their food. [299] Rasta dietary practices have been ridiculed by non-Rastas; in Ghana for example, where food traditionally includes a high meat content, the Rastas' emphasis on vegetable produce has led to the joke that they "eat like sheep and goats". [300] In Jamaica, Rasta practitioners have commercialised ital food, for instance by selling fruit juices prepared according to Rasta custom. [301]The Rasta Star of David symbolizes all this while also having a clear Rastafarian design – it’s painted with the four Rastafari colors and often has the Lion of Judah in the middle. 3. The Rasta Flag The rasta flag. See this here. Rastas refer to their cultural and religious practices as "livity". [205] Rastafari does not place emphasis on hierarchical structures. [151] It has no professional priesthood, [37] with Rastas believing that there is no need for a priest to act as mediator between the worshipper and divinity. [206] It nevertheless has "elders", an honorific title bestowed upon those with a good reputation among the community. [207] Although respected figures, they do not necessarily have administrative functions or responsibilities. [207] When they do oversee ritual meetings, they are often responsible for helping to interpret current events in terms of Biblical scripture. [208] Elders often communicate with each other through a network to plan movement events and form strategies. [207] Grounding [ edit ] A group of Rastas in Liberia celebrating Marcus Garvey's birthday There are various options that might explain how cannabis smoking came to be part of Rastafari. By the 8th century, Arab traders had introduced cannabis to Central and Southern Africa. [238] In the 19th century, enslaved Bakongo people arrived in Jamaica, where they established the religion of Kumina. In Kumina, cannabis was smoked during religious ceremonies in the belief that it facilitated possession by ancestral spirits. [209] The religion was largely practiced in south-east Jamaica's Saint Thomas Parish, where a prominent early Rasta, Leonard Howell, lived while he was developing many of Rastafari's beliefs and practices; it may have been through Kumina that cannabis became part of Rastafari. [209] A second possible source was the use of cannabis in Hindu rituals. [239] Hindu migrants arrived in Jamaica as indentured servants from British India between 1834 and 1917, and brought cannabis with them. [209] A Jamaican Hindu priest, Laloo, was one of Howell's spiritual advisors, and may have influenced his adoption of ganja. [209] The adoption of cannabis may also have been influenced by the widespread medicinal and recreational use of cannabis among Afro-Jamaicans in the early 20th century. [209] Early Rastafarians may have taken an element of Jamaican culture which they associated with their peasant past and the rejection of capitalism and sanctified it by according it Biblical correlates. [240] The red stands for the bloodshed and sacrifices made by those who fought against British colonialism in Jamaica. It's a symbol of the Rastafari's resistance and rebellion against domination. Zion is supposed to be the birthplace of all of humanity, where God created Adam and Eve. It’s where the first people started spreading across the globe, and where God’s chosen people – the Rastafari – will one day return. 7.Ganja/Marijuana

This belief stems from the Rastafarian adherence to the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament. It’s a part of the Nazarite Vow which states that: From its origins, Rastafari was intrinsically linked with Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. [70] He remains the central figure in Rastafari ideology, [71] and although all Rastas hold him in esteem, precise interpretations of his identity differ. [72] Understandings of how Haile Selassie relates to Jesus vary among Rastas. [73] Many, although not all, believe that the Ethiopian monarch was the Second Coming of Jesus, [74] legitimising this by reference to their interpretation of the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation. [61] By viewing Haile Selassie as Jesus, these Rastas also regard him as the messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, [75] the manifestation of God in human form, [72] and "the living God". [76] Some perceive him as part of a Trinity, alongside God as Creator and the Holy Spirit, the latter referred to as "the Breath within the temple". [77] Rastas who view Haile Selassie as Jesus argue that both were descendants from the royal line of the Biblical king David, [61] while Rastas also emphasise the fact that the Makonnen dynasty, of which Haile Selassie was a member, claimed descent from the Biblical figures Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. [78] Rubenstein, Hannah; Suarez, Chris (1994). "The Twelve Tribes of Israel: An Explorative Field Study". Religion Today. 9 (2): 1–6. doi: 10.1080/13537909408580708.Viele Wörter oder Wortteile wurden auch durch ihr Gegenteil ersetzt. Das auffallendste Beispiel ist das Wort „verstehen“– englisch „to understand“– das von den Rastafarians durch „to overstand“ ersetzt wurde, da sie das ursprüngliche Wort als Atavismus aus der Sklaverei sehen und daher als erniedrigend empfinden. Ein weiteres Beispiel ist das Wort „cigarette“, das in englischer Aussprache als „see-garette“ verstanden werden kann. Da das Tabakrauchen als negativ und die Sicht trübend gilt, wird stattdessen „blindgarette“ verwendet. Auch werden Wörter dahingehend verändert, dass sie ihren „wahren Charakter“ offenbaren. Aus „television“ wird so „tell-lie-vision“ oder aus „Israelite“ „His-real-light“. Definition [ edit ] Two Rastafari street vendors in Zeerust, South Africa; they are wearing and selling items that display their commitment to the religion Firstly, Sewn: We utilize pre-coloured 155gsm woven polyester, sewn together by our team to create the flag’s design. In cases requiring intricate badges, we affix printed badges onto the flag. This option, used by the MOD, gives a truly traditional look. The Rasta Star of David is similar to the Hebrew Star of David in shape and appearance. The reason the Rastafari share that symbol is that they believe Emperor Haile Selassie was a descendant of the Hebrew Kings David and Solomon as well as of Judah. Die Strömung Bobo Ashanti innerhalb der Rastafari setzte sich bereits kurz nach ihrer Gründung 1958 massiv für eine „Repatriierung“ nach Afrika ein. Ihre Anhänger beriefen sich dabei insbesondere auf Artikel 15 der Allgemeinen Erklärung der Menschenrechte und formulierten mehrere entsprechende Aufrufe an die Vereinten Nationen, die jedoch keine Beachtung fanden. Dennoch nahm die blaue UN-Flagge in der Bildkultur von Bobo Ashanti einen bedeutenden Platz ein. [14]