Young Spanish Woman Shares Her Cuban Family's Quirky Traditions: "Doesn't This Seem Odd to You?"

A young Spanish woman has captured attention on TikTok by discussing some of the intriguing customs she experienced growing up in a household with Cuban roots. Her video, entitled "Curious Things My Cuban Family Does," has sparked a wave of responses, particularly from Cubans who resonate with her experiences.

The storyteller, known as @ainaraquesada__, was born in Spain to a Spanish mother and a Cuban father. She recounts living with her paternal grandmother and father for many years, which deeply influenced her childhood with rituals and traditions she couldn't fully grasp at the time.

Among the most striking memories she shares is her father's daily ritual of crouching, touching the ground, and ringing a bell before leaving the house. "Every single day," she notes. She also mentions that whistling was forbidden at home as it was believed to "summon demons," crosses were drawn with chalk for protection, and every New Year's Eve, her grandmother would bathe her with petals and perfume before tossing a bucket of water out the window—backwards.

Additionally, she remembers an altar with religious figures where food was left for Elegguá, and occasions when her grandmother took her to the river to converse with the water. Many viewers linked this practice to Oshún, the orisha of freshwater in the Yoruba religion.

Though the young woman shares her story with curiosity and affection, the video prompted a flood of comments. Some explained these were Yoruba religious practices or Santería, integral to Afro-Cuban culture. Comments like "My mother also greets Elegguá in the mornings," and "In my house, whistling was also banned because it drives the spirit away," were common.

Clarifications from others noted, "It's not because they're Cuban, it's because they're Yoruba religious." Some expressed surprise, while others appreciated her candid discussion of such a personal topic.

@ainaraquesada__ herself responded clearly: "I know perfectly well what my family did. I just wanted to share it because outside of Cuba or Latin America, it's not common, and I thought it was interesting to share."

While not all Cuban families practice this religion, many individuals—both on the island and abroad—grew up amidst rituals, altars, symbolic prohibitions, and a profound respect for the orishas. This spiritual heritage, as one of the video’s most popular comments stated: "My grandmother did it too... and we still do it."