A Cuban residing in Italy who publishes on TikTok under the name Mariencita (@yaidleicita) became a trend yesterday by listing five Cuban customs she refuses to give up despite living in Europe, in a video that instantly resonated with thousands of Cubans in the diaspora.
"There are things that I, as a Cuban living in Italy, won’t compromise on, my love," the creator begins in the video lasting two minutes and 41 seconds, humorously and proudly summarizing the habits that Italy has not been able to change.
The first custom is to clean the house with music. "In my house, we clean to music and that won't change, my love, because I need music to get energized," she explains, noting that she closes the windows or uses headphones to avoid disturbing the neighbors. At this point, she makes a direct reference to Cuba: "I come from an island of pure music, unfortunately, that is currently dying under a dictatorship, but that's a different topic. I need this country not to sour my mood."
The second custom is to cover the mirrors when there is thunder, a tradition passed down from her grandmother. "As soon as my grandmother saw the clouds starting to form, she would say: cover the mirrors and disconnect all the appliances," she recalls. The author justifies the habit with a personal experience: "An appliance burned out on me, a refrigerator, because there was a thunderclap, since she has taught me my whole life to cover them." She has three mirrors at home and covers them all.
The third point is the respect for the night air, the cool, damp night air that Cuban folklore associates with illness. "We still fear the night air; what is the night air? I have no idea, my dear, but the night air exists and it makes you sick," he says boldly. And he adds, "Don't come here pretending to be European, because the night air exists and it deserves respect, darling."
The fourth habit is the classic bag of bags. "In my house, there is a bag that contains another bag, which in turn holds another bag that contains many more bags," she describes, defending the practice as a practical form of recycling to use biodegradable bags as trash bags.
Finally, natural and traditional medicine. Before turning to medications, Mariencita relies on remedies such as guava tincture and holy cane. "These people here don't know what MNT is, these people here don't know what guava tincture is, these people here actually don't know what holy cane is. I do know, and I will use it to my advantage," she asserts.
The video is part of a well-established trend on TikTok where Cubans living in Europe share customs they have kept alive outside the island, creating a strong sense of connection among the diaspora. Another Cuban in Italy, @isaradiazm, went viral for sharing that after nearly nine years in the country she still faces stares for behaviors that are completely normal in Cuba, such as laughing out loud.
In Italy, approximately 44,959 Cubans reside, according to data from 2024, a community that has played a significant role in several narratives about the clash between Cuban identity and Italian social norms.
Mariencita concludes the video by inviting her followers to share their own habits in the comments: "I know I'm not the only one who still has these good or bad Cuban habits. I know you have them too."
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