Abakuá

Abakuá, also sometimes known as Ñañiguismo, is an Afro-Cuban initiatory fraternity and religious tradition. The society is open only to men and those initiated take oaths to not reveal the secret teachings and practices of the order. It draws influence from fraternal associations in the Cross River region of present-day southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon.

Abakuá formed in Regla in 1836 among Afro-Cubans. After the Cuban Revolution, Abakuá continued to face persecution but benefitted from the liberalising reforms of the 1990s as it became increasingly important in the Cuban tourist industry.

Rituals are called plantes and typically take place in a secluded room, the fambá. Many of the details of these ceremonies are kept secret although they usually involve drumming. Some of the Abakuá society's ceremonies take place in public. Most notable are the public parades on the Day of the Three Kings, when members dress as íremes, or spirits of the dead.