BETWEEN THE LARIMAR AND THE ROSE OF BAYAHÍBE
- Maria Aduke Alabi
- Jul 22
- 7 min read
ELEMENTS OF DOMINICAN CULTURE
By: Maria Aduke Alabi 07/22/2026
There are days when one wakes up with a heart aching with nostalgia, and it may be the hormones; but looking at the little Dominican flag that decorates my living room warms my soul and reminds me that "I am Dominican even though I am far away."
That blue of hope, that dark red of courage, and that white that calls us to purity… And, in the center, the National Shield, which is not just a symbol: it is a declaration of who we are.
And there, like an unbreakable clasp, is the motto we learned as boys: “God, Fatherland, and Liberty.” Three words that, although some may repeat them by heart, ultimately underpin our way of walking through the world.
I've always said that being Dominican is a privilege that one doesn't fully understand until one sits in a rocking chair, breathes in the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and hears, far away, a merengue that sounds as if it comes directly from beyond.
A country's culture is not just a word; it is a universe that moves with us wherever we go, that defines us, corrects us, unifies us, guides us… and also betrays us and differentiates us.
That's why today I want to tell you, from the perspective of someone who loves their island with the same nostalgia as always, everything I've been discovering while diving into the heart of our culture: its laws, its symbols, its stones, its flowers, its music, and the mix of bloodlines that made us who we are.
What is culture?
Many years ago, when I sat down to study this subject, I discovered that the word “culture” is not something that is learned… it is something that is breathed.
From an anthropological perspective, culture is defined as that vast tapestry of beliefs, customs, art, fashion, knowledge, and habits that we inherit from generation to generation. It's what we learn without anyone shouting it at us. It's what we pick up through shared experiences.
Sociology tells us that culture is formed by those environmental stimuli that shape how we relate to one another. In other words, what teaches us to greet with a kiss, to eat bread for breakfast, to treat coffee as something sacred, or to be supportive even to people we don't know.
And Philosophy, always profound, posits that culture is what human beings create to transform their environment… and how that environment transforms them in turn. An eternal dance between who we are and what we do.
For my part, I say that culture is that "je ne sais quoi" that one feels when one hears a güira playing or the Dominican national anthem, with that powerful entrance that makes one's skin crawl.
It's a greeting with a hug. It's that urge to dance when you hear the rhythm of the drum, even if it's just a spontaneous little dance in the middle of a supermarket.
It's the heritage and warmth we carry in our hearts, even if we live in Alaska.
Law 41-00: because what is ours must be respected
Sometimes we think that culture defends itself, but it doesn't. Preserving it is also the State's job, and that's why Law 41-00 exists, a legal framework to protect who we are.
The Constitution is clear:
The State must promote culture and science so that everyone can benefit from them.
All artistic and historical wealth —whoever its owner— forms part of the nation's cultural heritage.
It is the State's obligation to preserve and defend that heritage.
In good Dominican slang: what is ours is respected, cared for and preserved, because without roots there is no shade.
There are many cultural and folkloric elements that represent us, some unique and others almost exclusive. These are:
The national stone: larimar
Ah, larimar… a jewel as much ours as the creamy guava.
“The stone that carries the ocean within,” with a blue that seems to hold the sea and the sky in a single breath.
Larimar is the National Stone of the Dominican Republic, and rightly so: it does not exist anywhere else in the world.
This sleeping beauty in the Sierra de Bahoruco is a gift that only our island holds.
Her name, a mixture of Larissa —daughter of the discoverer Miguel Méndez— and sea, reminds us that in this country even names are invented with affection.
Larimar is culture, tourism, commerce, and identity. It's our little piece of heaven turned into stone.
There isn't a tourist who isn't mesmerized. There isn't a Dominican who doesn't look at it with pride.
Merengue and bachata: the soundtrack of our soul
If there's one thing that defines Dominicans, it's that we walk with our own rhythm.
When we talk about Dominican culture, there are two rhythms that are like two mandatory surnames: merengue and bachata.
Merengue is a blend of African, Spanish, and rural influences. It originated as folk music and eventually found its way into elegant ballrooms.
With its güira, tambora and accordion, it's the party made music: fast, close, cheerful, in two steps and impossible to resist.
Bachata is the daughter of the sad guitar, the neighborhood, bitterness, and nostalgia.
She was born marginalized, relegated to brothels and seen with an air of poverty, and today she is a world queen thanks to Juan Luis Guerra, who internationalized and refined her.
Victor Victor and Luis Segura gave it romantic status, and Anthony Santos and Aventura modernized and massively popularized it.
With his guitar, second guitar, bass, güira and bongos, it is pure feeling that is danced with the heart in the hand, in a sensual, marked and intimate way.
Both genres, so different and yet so much a part of us, are now world heritage and ambassadors of what we feel as a country.
Our religion: Christian
The Dominican Republic is, above all, a people of faith.
Most of us grew up in a home with a Christian tradition, mostly Catholic, where the smell of sweet beans is part of the Lenten prayers.
Our Holy Patroness, the Virgin of Mercy, is the protector of our battles.
And our Virgin of Altagracia, beloved mother, is a symbol of devotion and spiritual refuge.
For many Dominicans, going to church or mass on Sundays is, or was, part of their traditions.
Our living symbols
National tree: the mahogany ( Swietenia mahagoni )
Majestic, strong, and resilient. Like our people.
Declared the National Tree by Law 146-11, it is one of the most powerful symbols of Dominican identity.
This Caribbean giant, with its reddish and deeply resistant wood, has been an essential part of our history since colonial times, when its value made it one of the most prized woods in the world.
Their ability to stand firm in the face of hurricanes and droughts reflects the strength and resilience of our people.
Its presence in furniture, crafts, and even in the historic architecture of the Colonial City makes it a living emblem of elegance, tradition, and memory.
Protecting mahogany is protecting an essential part of who we are as a nation.
National bird: the palmchat ( Dulus dominicus )
Mischievous, free, always close to the roads and houses; a reminder that life seeps in everywhere.
The palmchat is a living symbol of our island identity.
Endemic to the country —that is, it does not exist naturally anywhere else in the world—, this restless and friendly little bird usually nests in royal palms and accompanies rural and urban roads.
Its presence reminds us of the closeness between the everyday and the natural.
Its sociable nature, its soft song, and its ability to adapt to different landscapes represent the joy, freedom, and resilience of the Dominican people.
That's why the palmchat is not just a bird: it's a little piece of the homeland that flies.
The National Flower: the Bayahibe rose ( Pereskia quisqueyana )
Unique. Capricious. Mysterious.
It is so delicate and unique that it only blooms in a small forest near the beach of Bayahibe.
It was declared the National Flower because it symbolizes our uniqueness, that mixture of gentle resilience and quiet beauty that defines us.
It's ours, ours alone. And that makes it even more valuable.
A flower that decided the rest of the planet didn't need it.
Of seventeen species, only five exist in the country… but this one, this one only blooms here.
That's why it's our National Flower.
The national dish: “La Bandera”
The pride of the stove could not be called anything else.
Rice, beans, and meat. Simple, complete, delicious, and everyday.
White rice is served with stewed beans —usually red beans, also called black beans, beans or kidney beans in other Latin American countries— and stewed meat of any kind.
The stew of beans and meats in the Dominican Republic is very particular and has an exquisite flavor, difficult to duplicate, especially if you don't have the native ingredients.
I say this from experience: it's not the same and it's not equal.
White rice is cooked by frying it first and then adding water, which gives it a special flavor.
The sport that represents us: baseball
Baseball is not just a sport in this country; it is our alternative language, since through it we make ourselves known worldwide.
It is heritage, it is a dream, it is an escape, it is pride.
It is the secret dream that boys in the neighborhoods talk about, the illusion of the minor leagues, and the sigh of mothers who pray while their sons bat.
Whether they are Liceísistas, Aguiluchos or Escogidistas, they all aspire.
The Dominican Republic is pure talent, exported without customs.
Crafts: faceless dolls
In Moca, Espaillat province, the faceless dolls were born, those clay figures that represent Dominican identity in all its essence.
Why faceless?
Because they symbolize the mix of races and the universality of our women.
They are art, identity, and memory.
They are the most Dominican gift you can take in your suitcase.
Colonial City: where America began
Walking through the Colonial City is like walking through the beginning of everything.
The first European city in the New World. A living museum, full of stone alleyways, history on every corner, and awestruck tourists.
It's a perfect blend of nostalgia, architecture, gastronomy, and nightlife.
It is Santo Domingo telling the world: "This is where the Hispanic history of America began."
A perfect metaphor for what we are: a delightful combination of simple elements that, together, taste like home.
Without memory, there is no future.
Without roots, no tree can withstand a cyclone.
Maria Aduke Alabi
Sources:
Symbols of Dominican Identity. Hoy Online Newspaper - Lily Luciano February 27, 2024 https://hoy.com.do/vivir/simbolos-de-la-dominicanidad_993499.html
Constitution of the Dominican Republic. (2015). National Revisory Assembly. https://www.senado.gob.do/Transparencia/Constitucion
Ministry of Energy and Mines. (n.d.). Government to hold event for National Larimar Day . https://mem.gob.do/?s=larimar
Llifle Encyclopedias. The Encyclopedias of Tress (2020). Pereskia quisqueyana Alain . https://llifle.com/Encyclopedia/TREES/Family/Cactaceae/32840/Pereskia_quisqueyana
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (1990). Colonial City of Santo Domingo . https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/526/
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