Santería Calendar: Orisha Feast Days and Their Catholic Saints
Every year, the Cuban religious calendar fills with feast days. On September 8, thousands of people dress in yellow for the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre and Oshún. On December 4, red and white fill the streets for Santa Bárbara and Changó. On December 17, pilgrims walk all night to San Lázaro and Babalú Ayé. Behind each date is a Catholic saint and an orisha who, in Cuba, came to share the same day. This page gathers the feast days of the orishas and their Catholic saints, month by month, so you can plan your celebrations, your offerings and your prayers all year long.
How to Read This Calendar
During slavery and colonial times in Cuba, the Lucumí people honored their orishas under the images of Catholic saints. Over time, each orisha came to be celebrated on the feast day of the saint it was paired with. This is called syncretism, and it is why Changó is honored on the day of Santa Bárbara and Oshún on the day of the Caridad del Cobre. Learn more about this history in our guide to Cuban Santería.
Keep in mind:
- Dates vary by region and by house. Some orishas have more than one saint, and some regions of Cuba celebrate them on different days. Where a second date is common, we list both.
- An orisha is not the saint. The saint is the image and the date. The orisha keeps its own identity, its own songs and its own rules.
- Your house comes first. If your padrino or madrina celebrates on a different day, follow your house.
The Santería Calendar, Month by Month
| Date | Orisha | Catholic saint |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 6 | Elegguá | Santo Niño de Atocha (Día de Reyes) |
| January 17 | Osain | San Antonio Abad |
| February | ||
| February 2 | Oyá | Virgen de la Candelaria |
| April | ||
| April 27 | Yewá (some houses) | Virgen de Montserrat |
| May | ||
| May 15 | Orisha Oko | San Isidro Labrador |
| May 22 | Obba | Santa Rita de Casia |
| June | ||
| June 6 | Ochosi | San Norberto (also San Alberto Magno) |
| June 13 | Elegguá | San Antonio de Padua |
| June 24 | Osun | San Juan Bautista |
| June 29 | Ogún | San Pedro |
| July | ||
| July 25 | Aganyú (some houses), Oke | San Cristóbal, Santiago Apóstol |
| July 26 | Naná Burukú | Santa Ana |
| August | ||
| August 31 | Dadá | San Ramón Nonato |
| September | ||
| September 7 | Yemayá | Virgen de Regla |
| September 8 | Oshún | Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre |
| September 24 | Obatalá | Virgen de las Mercedes |
| September 26–27 | Ibeyis | San Cosme y San Damián |
| October | ||
| October 4 | Orula (Orúnmila) | San Francisco de Asís |
| October 15 | Oyá (eastern Cuba) | Santa Teresa de Jesús |
| October 24 | Inle | San Rafael Arcángel |
| October 30 | Yewá | Virgen de los Desamparados |
| November | ||
| November 2 | Egun (the dead) | Día de los Fieles Difuntos |
| November 16 | Aganyú | San Cristóbal, patron of Havana |
| December | ||
| December 4 | Changó | Santa Bárbara |
| December 8 | Iroko (some houses) | Inmaculada Concepción |
| December 17 | Babalú Ayé | San Lázaro |
| December 31 | Osain (some houses) | San Silvestre |
Note: Ogún is also honored on other dates in some regions, including with Santiago Apóstol (July 25) in eastern Cuba. Elegguá is paired with several images, including the Santo Niño de Atocha, San Antonio de Padua and the Ánima Sola.
The Great Feasts of the Year
Some dates are celebrated by almost every Cuban religious family, in Cuba, in Miami and across the diaspora:
- September 7, Yemayá and the Virgen de Regla. In the town of Regla, across the bay from Havana, the Virgin is carried in procession, and devotees dress in blue and white and bring offerings to the sea.
- September 8, Oshún and the Caridad del Cobre. The patroness of Cuba. Pilgrims travel to her sanctuary in El Cobre, near Santiago, and in Miami thousands gather at her shrine. Yellow flowers, sunflowers, honey and candles fill the altars.
- September 24, Obatalá and the Virgen de las Mercedes. A day of white: white clothes, white flowers, cascarilla and peace.
- October 4, Orula and San Francisco de Asís. Babalawos and their godchildren honor the orisha of Ifá. Read our guide to Orula.
- December 4, Changó and Santa Bárbara. Red and white, drums, apples and bananas, and celebrations that often begin the night before.
- December 17, Babalú Ayé and San Lázaro. The pilgrimage to El Rincón, the night vigil of the 16th and promises kept with humility. Read our guide to Babalú Ayé.
How to Celebrate an Orisha's Day at Home
You do not need a big party to honor an orisha on its day. Many families do simple, respectful things:
- Clean the altar and refresh the water, the flowers and the cloths the day before.
- Light a candle in the orisha's color. See our guide to 7-day candles for color meanings.
- Offer what the orisha loves, in modest amounts, and remove it when your house says. See our guide to orisha offerings.
- Pray the novena of the saint in the nine days before the feast.
- Wear the orisha's colors and your elekes, if you have received them.
- Visit your padrino or madrina. For initiates, feast days are also days for the religious family, and many houses hold a tambor or a celebration.
Initiates also celebrate their own cumpleaños de santo, the anniversary of the day they were crowned, which is often more important for them than the public feast of their orisha.
Plan Ahead
The busiest feasts come close together: September 7, 8 and 24, then December 4 and 17. If you need candles, statues, novenas, elekes or offerings, order a few weeks early so everything arrives on time. You can find everything for each orisha in our Orisha Center.
Final Thoughts
The Cuban religious calendar is a year-long conversation between the Catholic saints and the orishas, between Africa and Cuba, between the elders and the new generations. Use this calendar as a guide, follow the customs of your house, and let every feast day be a reason to give thanks. ¡Ashé!
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