Emperor Haile Selassie I (always pronounced as the letter “I,” never as the number one or 'the first') of Ethiopia, is revered by Rastafarians who believe that he was descended from King Solomon in the Bible and that Jah (God) took human form as Haile Selassie. He became the acknowledged savior of the Rasta movement while he was still alive.
The Rastafari faith started in Jamaica in the 1920s. Rastafarians take their name from the pre-coronation title of Haile Selassie: Ras (meaning prince) and Tafari, the Emperor’s given name. He was born on July 23, 1892 and his birthday is seen by Rastafarians as one of the holiest days of the year.
Rastafarians have strong links with the Jewish and Christian faiths. Study of the Bible is important . . . in particular study of the Old Testament. Additionally, the Holy Piby, written in the 1920s and accepted by some Rastas as their bible, is acclaimed by many as a primary source.
Rastafarians believe it is important to live in harmony with the natural world. The Rasta word Ital stands for a natural, organic purity. The Rastafarian people strive to live the Ital way of life – one which is against artificial lifestyles generally and in particular those from the Western World.
The language of Rastarfi has its roots in Jamaican Creole, but is distinct from both Creole and Standard English. By way of example, “I-and-I” is frequently used in place of “me” to include the presence of the divine within the individual. “I-and-I” is also used to refer to “we”, “us” or “them” and to imply that all persons are united under the love of Jah. A wonderful book on the subject is Dread Talk: The Language of Rastafari
Given the highly individualized nature of worship within the Rastafarian faith, it is difficult to say what form the celebration of Haile Selassie’s Birthday will take in a given community. Generally “Nyabinghi sessions” (including music, chanting and prayer) are held to mark the occasion. And throughout the world there will be concerts, gatherings, rallies and other forms of musical celebration.
Because of the lack of any centralized organizational structure, and because many Rastafarians are non-participating members of larger religious groups, it is difficult to come up with any sort of reliable estimate as to the number of Rastafarians globally. We have seen the number 700,000 in a couple of places. We have also seen world estimates as low as 200,000 and as high as 2 million. For our purposes here, we will accept that there are around 600,000 Rastafarians worldwide.
On Thursday, July 23rd, we suggest that we each pause for a few moments and, in manners appropriate to our personal faith traditions and/or belief systems, send feelings of love and good will to our Rasta brothers and sisters throughout the world as they commemorate the Birthday of Haile Selassie I.
The Rasta way is from de heart. Jah Love!
Shalom Salaam Peace
Kay & Dave Corby, Founders Common Tables “Common Tables is an invitation to a unique experience in interfaith, multi-cultural adventure. Perhaps more significantly, it is also an invitation to a mind-expanding and very personal spiritual adventure.” Marcia S., New Jersey
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To learn more about the world’s faith traditions, including Rastafari, we invite you to consider the books suggested in our online bookstore: The Higher Shelf.
