Santería, an African-based system of beliefs and rituals, is used by growing numbers of New Yorkers to bring health and good fortune to their households.
Practiced widely in Cuba and Puerto Rico, the religion has grown in popularity in New York and elsewhere in the United States. The word Santería loosely means "the way of the saints," and those who follow its tenets pay tribute to spirits, or orishas, who are believed to wield influence over aspects of daily life.
Much of the religion has roots in Catholicism because Africans who developed Santería centuries ago camouflaged their African traditions with outward practices from the Roman Catholic Church.
For example, San Lazaro, or Saint Lazarus, is a figure prayed to by Santeros, or Santería believers, who seek physical healing for themselves or loved ones.
The owner of Original Products Co., a botanica, or religious store selling Santería items, called it an "extremely rare" incident in which a woman allegedly practicing a Santería ritual died Tuesday. However, Jason Mizrahi, 28, added that there are dangers associated with some products.
"A lot of these products are alcoholic perfumes that people wear," Mizrahi said. "Florida water, being that it's mostly alcohol, is combustible."
Neighbors think it was Florida water that they smelled outside the apartment where the fatal fire occurred. The liquid is used in ritualistic Santería cleansings, reminiscent of Catholic holy water.