Rastafarian

Practices and Rituals
Rastafarians are perhaps best known for their religious use of marijuana, which grows plentifully in Jamaica. Rastas know it as ganja, the holy herb, Iley or callie, andbelieve it was given by God. Scriptural support is found especially in Psalm 104:14: "He causeth the grass for the cattle and herb for the service of man." Other texts interpreted to refer to cannibisinclude Genesis 3:18, Exodus 10:12, and Proverbs 15:17. In addition to ritual use, Rastas also use marijuana for medicinal purposes, applying it to a variety of ailments including colds. 
Marijuana isused primarily during the two main Rastafari rituals: reasonings and nyabingi. The reasoning is an informal gathering at which a small group of Rastas smoke ganja and engage in discussion. The ritualbegins when one person lights the pipe, or "chalice," and recites a short prayer while all other participants bow their heads. The pipe is then passed around the circle until all of the people havesmoked. The reasoning ends when the participants depart one by one.
The nyabinghi, or binghi for short, is a dance held on Rasta holidays and special occasions (see below). These dances can last forseveral days and bring together hundreds of Rastafarians from all over Jamaica. They camp in tents on land owned by the host Rastas. Formal dancing takes place at night in a tabernacle especially set upfor the occasion. The Rastas sing and dance until the early hours of the morning. In the daytime, they "rest and reason."
There are several Rasta holidays, most of which center around events in thelife of Emperor Haile Selassie. The most important celebrations are:
* November 2 - the coronation of Selassie
* January 6 - ceremonial birthday of Selassie
* April 21 - Selassie's visit toJamaica
* July 23 - Selassie's personal birthday
* August 1 - emancipation from slavery
* August 17 - Marcus Garvey's birthday
One of the most visible practices of Rastafarians is the...