When most people hear the word Rastafarian, Jamaica comes to mind. This is because this religious movement was born out in the early 20th century in the black slums of the country.  The movement is attributed to the politician Marcus Garvey who always advocated for the black people to be economically equal to the whites. He encouraged them to take pride in themselves and appreciate themselves more. The religion has a deep connection with Ethiopia where “Emperor Haile Selassie I” ruled. Garvey had predicted that a black king in Africa would be crowned and with the crowning of Ras Tafari Makonnen, this seemed to be a dream comes true. Rastafarians focus on implementing teachings from some selected Old Testament books. They also have several things that distinguish them from other groups such as the rastas on the head, their gold, green and red colors as well as their I-tal foods.

Must one smoke cannabis to be a Rastafarian?

Most people from across the globe believe that in the Rastafarian culture, one has to smoke ganja otherwise known as cannabis. Not every Rastafarian smokes marijuana which the culture considers a medicine that is also smoked in a ritualized form. Referring to the Bible, the culture believes marijuana is the 'green' or the 'holy' herb. It's smoked to assist in meditation and understanding of things.

Besides the rastas that represent the 'Lion of Judah', Rastafarians have their own colors that are similar to the Ethiopian flag. The colors are said to have been adapted from Marcus Garvey's movement. Ethiopia is said to be the Promised Land with the green color representing its vegetation, red representing the blood of the Rasta martyrs or the Rasta Church Triumphant while gold represents the wealth of the homeland. 

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The Rastafarian culture is also distinguished from other religious movements due to their foods which they refer to as I-tal foods. Their foods do not contain preservatives, chemicals, salts or condiments meaning they cannot eat canned foods or red meats. When it comes to drinks, they do not take liquor, soft drinks or milk among other “unnatural drinks”. They prefer natural foods and herbal drinks as well as serving foods in their rawest forms rather than over-cooking them.

Rastafarians do not have a leader, unlike other religions.  One reason attributed to this is the torture that Leonard Howell, an early leader went through in the hands of the police. Howell ruled over the Pinnacle that was overrun by the government. 

Despite the movement starting in Jamaica, not every Jamaican is a Rastafarian but statistics show that more than 10 percent are. Since its introduction, the religious movement has spread and today it is not only found in Jamaica, but also across the Caribbean islands, Canada, America, Africa, and England. With this, there are widespread branches and the culture has also contributed to many embracing Reggae music. Rastafarian culture is not all about Jamaica. It is a movement that is not only embraced by the black race.