On December 17th, every year, a procession is held towards the Sanctuary of Saint Lazaro at El Rincòn, a village 25 km from Havana, Cuba. Many pilgrims leave from Santiago de Las Vegas 5 kilometers away performing heavy rituals of penance, like advancing on their knees or on their back. In this traditional procession the figure of the Catholic saint, San Lazaro, and that of an African divinity intersect into who in the Cuban santeria bears the name of Babalù Ayè which is the protector of the sick and suffering. This Cuban devotion originates from the Yoruba tribe’s religion from Nigeria.
