Fiesta in a Cuban Neighborhood

Photo feature by Elio Delgado Valdes

HAVANA TIMES, April 18 — People in Cuba can have parties for many reasons. A birthday, a wedding, a christening or graduation from the university are sufficient reasons– not to mention Christmas and New Years.

Cubans like to celebrate, dance and accompany their celebrations with good food, and beer or rum. But for many, good food in Cuba is inconceivable without pork.

That’s why raising pigs in Cuba has become — in addition to a good business — a real need for many people. It’s the most consumed meat in the country, followed by lamb – since the price of beef is astronomical.

When a pig is slaughtered at someone’s house, there’s a fiesta in the neighborhood. Lots of people come to see how it’s killed, skinned, gutted, cut apart, and fried or roasted.

This photo essay shows everything from the raising of the piglets to the whole process of slaughtering, including the curious who gather around to watch it all.

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