Here, I should really explain to those who don't know about
Ras Tafari. The Rastafarian teaching is that Jah (Jehovah)
has once again appeared in the flesh in the form of one Tafari
Mekkonnen, or Haile Selassie, a name he took upon being crowned
Emperor of Ethiopia. According to Rastas (who see Haile
Selassie as the second coming), he fulfilled ancient prophecies
laid out in the Bible simply by being born. In short,
Ethiopia is thought of as "Zion," or Heaven on earth.
Among the things that are meaningful to a Rastaman are
the power of the holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit),
living life according to his or her beliefs and disciplines
and proclaiming aloud the name(s) of God..
"Jah, Ras Tafari, Selassie I(the first), King of Kings,
Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah."

Some people may wonder about the appearance of a Rasta..
These people, for the most part, are peaceful, humble and
hard-working. Their clothing and their jewelry (if any)
reflects this lifestyle. Red, Gold(yellow) and Green are
common colours to be seen in most any Islander's clothing,
and Rastas are the originators of this colour style in the west.
(Red, gold and green are the colours of the Ethiopian flag.)

Dreadlocks are another subject that many people wonder about.
A Rasta grows 'dreads' (knotted, rope-like hair that is left
uncut and frequently bleaches to a dark shade of orange) to show
he acknowledges that he is in a dreadful place.. (i.e.~ Until a
Rasta reaches Zion, or heaven, he or she is living in Babylon, or hell.)
Therefore a Rasta is constantly striving to reach Zion, trying
to better himself all the time.

If you ever find yourself in and around the Carribean, expect
to hear exclamations of joy and affirmation such as
"Yah Mon!" and "Irie!"
Now, Yah mon is straightforward ("yes, man"), but what does
"Irie" mean? It means "Feelin' good," "Feelin' high," or "Cool."

Here is a quote from Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-born man (seen by
many as a prophet) who was largely responsible for the Rastafarian
belief arising and expanding in and around Yard (familiar word for Jamaica).

"A people without the knowledge of their past history,
origin and culture is like a tree without roots."

In fact, Marcus Garvey's message has had such an effect on
the people of Jamaica that it is common to see roads and schools
and other public monuments named after him.

A quote from Bob Marley's song, "So Much Trouble"

"Bless my eyes this morning,
Jah sun is on the rise once again.
The way earthly things are going,
Anything can happen.

You see.. men sailing on their ego trips;
Blast off on their spaceship.
Million miles from reality,
No care for you, no care for me.

So much trouble in the world.
So much trouble in the world!

What the Jamaican Tourist Bureau doesn't tell you about...

Rastafari! Ever-livin'!
Peace and Love.

Thanks to the World Flag Database for the Ethiopian National Flag.

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