Vodou

Photo Journal: Fèt Gede – A celebration of Life on the Day of the Dead

October 6, 2022 by Anton Lau

crowd gathered at haitian cemetery with big cross for fet gede ritual — Crowd gathered for Fèt Gede in Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

Fèt Gede: A celebration of Life on the Day of the Dead

See the photos from a Fête Gédé celebration in Gonaïves and discover the most anticipated festival in Haitian culture! A celebration of Life on the Day of the Dead for both Christians and practitioners of Haitian Vodou.

Every November in Haiti, there are festivities held throughout the month that, for an outsider, might seem, well, quite strange! In particular, the Fête Gede (Day of the Dead) and All Saint’s Day involve unsettling processions to the cemetery of each town around the country.

The crowd that gathers is a varied group, comprising people who are simply curious as well as people of all different faiths, including Hatian Vodou. They join together to walk to the main cemetery in each town, all the while following the unique spectacle that the procession offers. And what is this spectacle, exactly? Practitioners of Vodou taken over by the Gede, the spirits for whom these stunning celebrations in Haiti are held.

vodou practitioner holding a machete and colorful handkerchiefs — A Vodou practitioner celebrating Fèt Gede, Gonaïves Cemetary
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

In Vodou spirituality, the Gede are the spirits of the dead. They are responsible for accompanying the dead on the path toward the other world, but also of watching over the living. They thus constitute the bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Two major Gede deities in the Haitian Vodou pantheon are Baron Samedi and Grann Brigitte.

gravestone at haitian cemetery during fet gede ritual — Fèt Gede rituals at the cemetary in Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

Those possessed by the gede spirits set the festival’s tone, which is truly carnivalesque. You might hear some rough language, see some dirty dancing, and witness other extravagant performances. All of these provide plenty of entertainment for the more docile crowd that follows along.

haitian vodou practitioners wearing white filling a transparant bottle with liquid — A Vodou temple inside the Cemetary in Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

Fueled by alcohol, as well as hot pepper-based infusions that they sprinkle on their bodies, the procession heads toward the main cemetery. Overtaken by the spirits of the dead, the possessed swear and carry out quite a remarkable performance.

gravestone at haitian cemetery with two soda bottles and flowers — Offerings on a gravestone during Fèt Gede, Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

The spectacle of the procession attracts quite a crowd, and the possessed are easily recognizable due to the ritual colors of Baron Samedi that they wear (white, black, and purple). Some even cover themselves entirely with white powder or draw gloomy scenes on their bodies. Others choose to wear the preferred attire of Baron Samedi, which includes a black hat, monocle, and cane. Altogether, this creates a true Carnival of the Dead that happens every year in Haitian cemeteries.

This Festival of the Dead, which comprises rituals and dances all November long, testifies to the intimate link that exists between the world of the living and the world of the dead in Vodou spirituality. For practitioners of Vodou, Fête Gede is really more like a celebration of life. The gede spirits who return via their hosts during possession can attest to this way of thinking. They are brought to life by joy and are spirits who love to laugh, dance, and have fun.

haitian vodou practitioner dancing at fet gede ritual with crowd watching — Vodou practitioners during Fèt Gede Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

All of these wild performances have just one objective: to amuse. The festival is not a moment for tears or regrets but rather a time to honor the memory of the departed. Part of this involves preparing for the festival by cleaning the cemeteries and restoring the tombs.

Those who have sailed for “the land without a hat” — a Haitian expression that means the “beyond,” because no one is buried with their hat — remain present in daily life and are nonetheless celebrated as they should be during this festival given in their honor. In Vodou spirituality, those who have set sail for the world of the dead maintain an important role in everyday life. The spirits of those who have passed on, bearing the name Gede, are respected as guardians, advisors, or vengeful spirits by those who remain.

The Fête Gede festival in Haiti is somewhat similar to the Day of the Dead as practiced in other parts of the world (e.g. Dia de los Muertos). The difference, however, lies in the place that the dead occupy in Vodou belief and in the syncretism underlying the various beliefs that Haitians hold.

haitian cemetery with sculpture and blue sky with clouds — Monument for the Gede spirit Brave, Gonaïves Cemetery
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

As a legacy of ancestral African traditions, Vodou reserves an important place for those who have departed this world for the next. In the procession of the Gede, different people portray different divinities, including Baron Samedi, Baron Lacroix, Baron Criminel, Grann Brigitte, and all the other Gede spirits. Much more than simple guardians of death and graveyards, the Gede are also guardians of life.

As such, the celebration of Fèt Gede is not just a celebration to commemorate the dead, but a celebration where the dead can take part by way of possession in the form of Gede spirits.

haitians gathered at cemetery for fet gede vodou ritual — A Vodou Priestess heading a ceremony for the spirit Brave Gede, Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

At the main cemetery in Port-au-Prince, where the biggest iteration of this festival is held each year, Catholics come to pray for the souls of their deceased at the small chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, Protestants come to gather at the graves of their lost loved ones, and practitioners of Vodou come for the largest celebration of the Fête Gede festival in all of Haiti.

haitian vodou practitioners lighting a candle during fet gede — A Vodou ritual at a ceremony during Fèt Gede Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

The festival is at the very crossroads of Haiti’s religious syncretism, with Catholics and Protestants joining the procession to the cemeteries, all worshiping differently but each bearing the same thoughts for the departed, thoughts colored by the beliefs on which these extraordinary celebrations are based.

haitian vodou practitioner at cemetery wearing a black and purple dress — A Vodou ceremony for the Brave Gede spirit during Fèt Gede, Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

Even if Fèt Gede is held on and around All Saint’s Day and the Day of the Dead, it’s a much different celebration than ones that you might see elsewhere. It’s a true moment of communion between the dead and the living, the latter of whom brings coffee, roasted corn, cassava, clairin (rum), or the favorite dish of the lost loved one.

haitian man holding a part of a human skull for fet gede — Fèt Gede in Gonaïves
Photo: Jean Oscar Augustin

One might even be tempted to say that Fèt Gede is much more than a simple set of practices based on certain beliefs about death — rather, it constitutes a genuine philosophy of life, a life that must be lived like a carnival. If we enjoy every moment, it won’t be the Gede who contradict us!

Written by Costaguinov Baptiste.

Published in October 2022.

Explore Haitian Vodou & Spiritualism

Haitian Vodou Revealed

June 28, 2021 by Anton Lau

vodou priestess kneeling on floor in a huge and colorful dress — Vodou priestess Manbo Nini, Jacmel
Photo: Verdy Verna

Haitian Vodou Revealed

When it comes to Haitian Vodou, what is fact, and what is fiction? Test your knowledge of the world’s most maligned spiritual tradition.

Vodou originated in the African kingdoms of Fon and Kongo as many as 6,000 years ago. In modern Haiti, this spiritual practice is a creolized version that incorporates Amerindian Taíno and Arawak deities, Medieval Catholic influences, and even Masonic rituals!

By and large, people associate Vodou* with evil, devil worship, and violent animal sacrifice. But many of its rituals (even those that include the sacrifice of live animals) focus on restoring peace and balance – in families, communities, and between the human realm and the realms of the lwa – the spirits.

Vodou religious leaders are respected figures in their communities, providing guidance, settling disputes, and providing medical care in the form of herbal healing. Priests – oungan – and priestesses – manbo – dedicate their lives to helping others and assisting them in serving their lwa. People who practice Vodou are known as vodouwizan, vodouisants (French), or in Haitian Kreyòl, sèvitè – “servants of the spirits”.

As Haitian nationals and the Haitian diaspora in Canada, the United States, and France become more open about their practice of Vodou, the truth about this enigmatic spiritual practice is slowly being revealed to the world. This is a story of how a spiritual tradition designed to heal and maintain balance was caught up in a case of mistaken identity, from which it is still recovering today.

haitian vodou practitioners in dimly lit cave with candles — Vodouwizans with candles
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

Devil-worship or disinformation?

A 2011-12 exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization suggests that Vodou was the target of a cultural disinformation campaign. Between 1915 and 1934, the United States Marine Corps occupied Haiti. During the occupation, Haiti became the backdrop for books and movies depicting Vodou as cruel, sinister, and bloody. Tracing media depictions of Haitian Vodou over time, the museum showed how anti-Vodou propaganda was deliberately spread to discredit anti-occupation forces. Movies like White Zombie, released in 1932, portrayed Vodou priests and others who resisted foreign occupation as bloodthirsty, deceptive, and downright evil.

Test your knowledge of Vodou

Now that we’ve set the record straight, it’s time to test your knowledge of this mysterious religion.

hanpainted exterior wall of vodou temple — Vodou peristyle
Photo: Emily Bauman / Amanacer

1. True or false: there are separate branches of Vodou

Answer: True!

Vodou lwa are divided into several branches or “nations”: the most prominent are Petwo and Rada.

Since there are more than two branches of lwa, it’s difficult to define Petwo and Rada purely in opposition to each other, but they are certainly starkly different.

Some anthropologists have described the Rada as benevolent and the Petwo as malevolent, or the Rada as representing ‘insider’ forces while the Petwo represent ‘outsider’ forces.

Rada lwa, according to anthropologist Karen McCarthy Brown, are generally gentle, kind and mostly concerned with supporting the wellbeing of their adherents. Petwo lwa, on the other hand, are hot-tempered, even explosive – the rituals that call Petwo lwa involve intense drumming, whip-cracks, gasoline and even ignited gunpowder. Some anthropologists believe the Petwo lwa are indigenous to Haiti, not imported from Africa – generated either as creolizations of native Taíno or Arawak deities, or born out of the need to survive the harsh conditions and trauma that the enslaved vodouwizan had to endure.

We can illustrate this dichotomy with the two rival lwa, Erzulie Freda and Erzulie Dantò. Two aspects of the same female deity, Erzulie Freda is a Rada lwa, and Erzulie Dantò is a Petwo lwa. In the same way that a diamond has hundreds of facets, a Vodou spirit or lwa has seemingly unlimited sides. Practitioners understand that if the entire lwa – in its full power – were to manifest itself, it would be overpowering, so they choose to invoke only one facet at a time.

Erzulie Freda and Erzulie Dantò are each part of a whole, but are depicted in traditional Haitian folklore as starkly different. Erzulie Freda is depicted as a fair-skinned bourgeois city woman who enjoys wealth, luxury, and the finer things in life like perfumes, jewelry, and flowers. Her counterpart, Dantò, a fierce defender of children, women, and society’s rejects, is dark-skinned and proudly wears two distinct scars on her face. Whereas Freda might respond to a crisis by crying, Dantò responds by becoming enraged.

The vèvè Vodou symbol for each version of Erzulie contains a heart, but each is distinct. Erzulie Dantò’s cosmogram features a sword through a heart, indicating her power to enact vengeance, protect children, and fulfill the fiery side of love on behalf of the lwa.

Whether you attend a ceremony held for Erzulie Freda or Erzulie Dantò is as different as going to a gentle Quaker gathering for collective consciousness unity, or a Pentecostal prayer meeting calling on the Holy Spirit for vigorous and fiery healing.

man lighting candles in a lavishly pink decorated room for vodou ceremony — Ceremony for Erzulie Freda
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

2. True or false: Vodou is all sinister sorcery and black magic

Answer: False!

There are two satellites of Vodou one might call secret societies. The dark practices of these secret societies were mistakenly called Voodoo by American officials in the early 1900s, causing confusion that persists to this day.

These two secret societies are Makaya and Bizango. They are what one may more accurately consider dark magic or sorcery; their practitioners use curses and incantations designed to cause harm. As opposed to Petwo and Rada Vodou, whose goals are to support and guide life, Makaya and Bizango employ practices harnessed against life.

How did these secret societies arrive in Haiti? It is said that Bizango started as a blend of West-African Bo and European necromancy brought to Hispaniola by colonizers. The story goes that African slaves brought to work sugar plantations were witness to their masters’ dark rituals on the plantations. This is when European knowledge would have been acquired, then combined with rituals from Africa to form a new syncretic practice.

Makaya, on the other hand, is believed to be a merging of Amerindian shapeshifting and other ritual secrets with the imported West-African Bo. The native inhabitants of the island were reputed to know the art of shapeshifting and of poisons, with rituals and practices designed to harm or protect individuals and communities.

Makaya places a stronger emphasis on shifting one’s corporeal form, and its lore includes stories of teleporting from one side of the island to another through secret portals revealed to the marooned slaves by the native Taíno. Some say that this is how revolutionaries were able to travel swiftly across the island and confound colonial armies.

When the US military occupation began in 1915, Western filmmakers exploited rumours about the darkest practices of Bizango and Makaya “voodoo” and through these caricatures, whether deliberately or not, vilified the country’s spiritual tradition.

In reality, love spells, curses, and rituals of revenge fall outside the realm of Vodou altogether. Curses, spells – and zombies – are instead the specialty of Bo in West-Africa and Bizango or Makaya in Haiti. In U.S. Vodou practice, they are categorized as “hoodoo” and should not be conflated with Vodou.

So if it’s not black magic, what is maji in Vodou?

When life gets chaotic and out of our control, westerners turn to psychologists, and Haitian vodouwizan turn to oungan and manbo. Everywhere on earth, for people of every faith, race and class, life can suddenly be thrown out of balance by sickness, professional failure, financial loss, family crisis or community conflict. At such times, vodouwizan ask the lwa to intervene and help the person in distress. This intervention is maji.

Practitioners of maji perform treatments to heal or protect those who consult them. In a dedicated room called a badji, the practitioner uses ritual to call in a lwa whose intervention is most appropriate for the given situation. The lwa may speak to the practitioner, or through the practitioner, possessing the practitioner’s body to investigate the situation for itself. The lwa decides on the appropriate course of action required to restore balance and shares this valuable information through the manbo or oungan.

woman making a cross with two knives on a straw hat — Ritual being performed at a Vodou ceremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

3. True or false: voodoo dolls are real

Answer: True AND False

During the American occupation, books and films aimed at the general public propagated many of the fictions that continue to degrade Vodou by associating it with evil sorcery. One of the strongest fictions is the image of a voodoo doll pricked with pins to cause injury or suffering to an enemy.

Pricked with pins and full of evil powers, the primitive cloth doll has become the image most often associated with Vodou in the world’s collective imagination. This has nothing, however, to do with the real spiritual practice in Haiti.

In reality, dolls are occasionally used in the practice of Haitian Vodou, but not to cast spells! Placed near graves or hung from the branches of Kapok trees, these dolls convey messages sent by vodouwizan to the dead or to ancestors.

4. True or false: zombies are real

Answer: True!

Forget what you think you know about zombies. While Haitian zombies may not match their typical portrayal in popular media, they hold a very real place in the country’s cultural beliefs. There’s so much to explore about zombie fact and fiction that we’ve dedicated a separate article to it.

Learn all about Haitian zombies here.

haitian vodou practitioners with head scarfs during ceremony — Women at a Vodou ceremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

5. True or false: vodou and Christianity first merged in the new world

Answer: False!

Many of the slaves brought to Hispaniola from northern and central Africa between the 16th and 18th centuries practiced the African form of Vodou. Since the colony’s slave code required all slaves to convert to Christianity, Vodou dances were strictly forbidden, and slaves could not observe their religion openly. They found themselves borrowing many elements from Catholicism to disguise and thus maintain their spiritual practice.

Lwa were assigned the faces of corresponding Saints. For example, Saint Peter holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven and corresponds to Papa Legba, who in Vodou is the gatekeeper to the spirit world. This process, known as syncretization, is why visitors to Haiti can see paintings for sale of a figure who appears to be Mary Mother of Jesus with black skin, and not know that they are really looking at a portrayal of Erzulie Dantò.

What is even less known is that this syncretization began hundreds of years earlier, before the first captured slave was ever sold on Haiti’s shores.

Long before Christopher Columbus docked on the island of Hispaniola, Portuguese monks visited the kingdom of Kongo, from where much of Haitian Vodou originates. These early Christian missionaries arrived in the capital after a long journey, appearing before the Kongo chief and his queen. They wore the plain beige robes of the medieval Jesuit priesthood.

The priests brought with them ornate golden crosses and, with permission, set up shop as missionaries do. They began to learn the local language, communicated as best they could, and shared stories about the Christian Holy Trinity, the resurrection story of Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit. In historical letters written to Portugal’s king and queen, the missionaries recount how the Kongo high court was fascinated with the Jesuit’s religion and adopted certain stories into their own belief systems.

The cross and the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection was integrated into the system of traditional Vodou lwa spirits and ancestor worship in the Kongo, which was then taken to Haiti by 16th-century African slaves. The Christian cross became a symbol for the crossroads, which represents life-altering choices and steps along the spiritual path for followers of Vodou in both its African and Haitian expressions to this day.

man carrying decorated cross during vodou ceremony — Vodou ceremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

6. True or false: it’s dangerous to attend a Vodou ceremony because you’ll get possessed

Answer: False!

One of non-initiates’ greatest fears when it comes to Vodou is being possessed by spirits against their will. While possession does take place at Vodou ceremonies, there is little danger that a spectator will be spontaneously “ridden” by the lwa.

For a vodouwizan, being possessed is like momentarily disappearing in order to become the physical vessel for a lwa. The actions and words of the possessed are believed to be the loa expressing itself, addressing others, advising or consoling, encouraging or scolding, punishing or healing through the Vodouwizan.

For practitioners of Vodou, there is nothing strange or special about possession. It can happen at any moment, and can last anywhere from a few minutes to hours or even days.

If this sounds scary, it’s helpful to remember that an immense amount of training, initiation, not to mention financial resources and sacred planning go into holding a Vodou ceremony. People are looking for answers to real problems around financial ruin, broken relationships, and discord. Each ceremony is held with a specific purpose or intention, and it would not be accomplished if the possessed chwal (or “horse”) wasn’t up to the task of the full participation required of their role.

For the same reason, it is exceedingly unlikely that a spectator at a Vodou dans (ceremony) would spontaneously be possessed. In fact, it is extremely rare for a non-initiate to be invited to participate in a major way in an important Vodou ceremony.

Experience Vodou on your visit to Haiti

Join the party on the Haitian Day of the Dead
Get front-row tickets to Vodou rock and roots band RAM
Visit a museum dedicated to Vodou
Marvel at unreal art at Galerie Monin
Follow the pilgrimage to Saut D’eau
Attend a Vodou ceremony

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

How Haitian Are You? Try This Cultural Quiz!

April 13, 2021 by Anton Lau

bright colorful haitian truck loaded with cabbage — Truck loaded with cabbage
Photo: Kolektif 2 Dimansyon (K2D)

How Haitian Are You? Prove Yourself with This Cultural Quiz!

Whether you were born and live in Haiti, are part of the diaspora, or are not Haitian at all, this quiz is the perfect way to find out just how much you know about Haiti!

Haiti has a lot of history, so much to show and so much to tell. Do you know some not so common Haitian facts or want to prove to your Haitian grandmother that you know some Kreyòl? Maybe you’ve visited Haiti so many times you feel Haitian in your heart and want to test what you know. That’s why we’re here! Take this quiz to find out just how Haitian you are!

Let’s test how Haitian you are!

<section><h2><span style="font-size:36px;"></span><h1 style="text-align:center;">How Haitian Are You? Prove Yourself with This Cultural Quiz!</h1></h2><p></p></section><section><h2><h2>What does Louisiane Saint Fleurant & Prosper Pierre Louis have in common?</h2></h2></section><section><h3><h2><strong>What is Krik Krak?</strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>The Haitian artist Georges Liautaud is famous for his artworks made from what material?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>What is placed on top of the palm tree in the Haitian coat of arms?</strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>Which famous pirate once lived on the Haitian Island </strong>Île-à-Vache?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>What is the nickname of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>Which period did Élie Lescot serve as President of Haiti?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>Konparèt is a local speciality from?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>What is Clairin(Kleren)?</strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>Akasan is a Haitian dish made from…</strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2><strong>What is the name of the biggest lake in Haiti?</strong></h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>Why is the endangered Haitian Solenodon considered one of the most unique and rare mammals in the world?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>What is Saut-Mathurine?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>Why is Jacmel nicknamed ‘The City of Lights’?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>What is a person from Cap-Haïtien called?</h2></h3></section><section><h3><h2>What is ‘rada’ and ‘petwo’?</h2></h3></section><section><h2><h2><strong>Are you sure you’re not Dominican?</strong></h2></h2><p></p></section><section><h3><h2></h2><h2><strong>Don’t feel bad!</strong></h2></h3><p>You’re Haitian by association</p></section><section><h3><h2><h3><em>Piti piti zwazo fè nich li</em></h3></h2></h3><p><h3>Little by little, you can progress in life.</h3></p></section><section><h3><h2></h2><h3><em>Haiti is in your blood</em></h3></h3><p>Shhh you’re haitian don’t let them tell you otherwise</p></section><section><h3><h2></h2><h3><em>Pa mal</em></h3></h3><p>You must be of Haitian descent!</p></section><section><h3><h3>Yon vyewo li ye wi</h3></h3><p>You’re pretty Haitian!</p></section><section><h3><h2>Ekselan!!</h2></h3><p>A true Zoe is in our presence!</p></section>

If these questions were a bit too challenging and you still need to brush up on some more simple facts, stick around and check out our “Test Your knowledge – How many facts about Haiti do you know?” Quiz! If you want to access your inner Captain Morgan try our “Can You Place 12 Haitian Cities on the Map?” Quiz!

Created by Zachary Warr.

Published April 2021.

Our recommendations

How to Attend a Vodou Ceremony in Haiti

January 21, 2021 by Anton Lau

group of people standing around a candle and cosmogram drawn on floor — A Vodou ceremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

How to Attend a Vodou Ceremony in Haiti

Skulls, sequins and gunpowder smoke – here’s a glimpse inside a modern Haitian vodou ceremony. Find out how to attend and what to expect.

There’s no doubt that Vodou is a powerful spiritual tradition. The world’s first free black republic was formed, at least in part, thanks to the uniting spirit of Vodou. Vodou was the common thread that united leaders in the Haitian revolution, despite their lack of a common language, tribal bonds or country of origin. In the space of just a few years, in a seemingly miraculous feat against the odds, an army of slaves threw off their chains, overthrew the French colonial government, beat Napolean’s navy, abolished slavery, and formed modern Haiti.

Today, perhaps not despite but because of these powerful roots, Vodou may just be the most maligned, feared and misunderstood spiritual tradition in the western world. It’s time to set the records straight. Perhaps the best way to help celebrate the freedom fighters and dispel the myths is to attend a Vodou ceremony in Haiti and see for yourself.

Here’s how.

drummer with open shirt and sweaty chest — A drummer at a Vodou ceremony
Photo: Franck Fontain

Find out about a Vodou dans

Sacred Vodou gatherings can be called by many names, most often a ceremony, ritual or dance. In Haitian Kreyòl, Vodou practitioners often refer to the event as a dance (dans). The terms dance and ceremony will be used interchangeably for the purposes of this guide.

Find out ahead of time who and what the dance will be for

It may be helpful to ask who the dance will be for and what purpose, if any, is intended. For example, is there a specific lwa (spirit) being evoked? If the ceremony takes place in early November, it will likely be held in honor of the Gede lwa and Day of the Dead. Remember that Petwo deities are the fiery, offense-oriented counterpart of the gentler, protective Rada deities. This can help anticipate the tone of the ritual.

If this is your first time attending a Vodou ceremony, it is recommended to attend a Rada dance, not least because you’re less likely to see animal sacrifice. For example, you could attend a springtime dance held to usher in a season of abundant harvest, good luck and good health. You may wish to begin with a Rada dance for Erzulie Freda, the goddess of love and sensuality, or La Sirène, the mermaid goddess of good luck, fertility and material abundance.

The rites, devotions and overall style of ceremony will vary greatly depending on which part of Haiti you are attending the dance in. For example, Papa Legba and the twin spirits known as Marassa are all recognized through particular rites with certain rituals, dances, drum rhythms, offerings, prayers and cosmograms drawn on the ground. But the specific interpretations of a Legba or Marassa dance in Cap-Haïtien will vary from one held in Jacmel. This is true for all rites and rituals across the different Vodou temples in Haiti.

Learn more about the different Vodou Gods & Goddesses here!

older haitian woman in a red dress with blue sequins — A woman at a Vodou Ceremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

Expect to be there a while

A Vodou dance can last a long time. In Jacmel for example, the rum-fuelled drummers that launch a ceremony at dusk can be found still drumming at dawn – albeit with swollen and bruised hands. So like any dance you attend in a foreign city, bring plenty of water and relax expectations of a set time for when it will end. If you want an exit strategy mid-dance, go with someone who you trust will be flexible to go when you are ready, pay your respects to the host who invited you if possible, and you can simply leave when you’re ready.

exterior of vodou temple with handpainted wall depicting spirits — Vodou peristyle in Artibonite
Photo: Emily Bauman / Amanacer

What a vodou temple looks like

Vodou dances take place at a peristil: a temple, usually round, always with a pole in the center called the central pole (poto mitan) representing the navel of the universe. Many Vodou temples in Haiti are indoor-outdoor, while others are fully enclosed or completely open to the sky. Some sacred rituals take place at waterfalls like Sodo or near a sacred mapou tree, but for the purposes of this guide, we will assume you will attend a ceremony at a peristil.

At the center of the ceremonial space, you’ll see an altar. Bottles represent gifts and offerings. Machetes are symbols of honor and respect to entities in the spirit world.

Check your cultural baggage at the door

On the altar, you may also see skulls and other human remains. While the western world associates bones with death, necromancy and spooky halloween kitsch, it is important to know that skulls hold nearly the opposite significance in Vodou. Try looking at the skull and seeing the comforting presence of an ancestor, or the balance between life and death.

While western cultures tend to avoid death and displace it from the family home, keeping the dead close is a crucial part of cultures from Romania to Indonesia to Haiti. In Vodou, death is not to be hidden from daily life, but embraced in ceremonies as a way to more fully appreciate and celebrate life.

Ancestors and dead family members may be called on to join the dance. Those who have passed away come among the community once more to offer advice, and take part in the rituals. Rather than framing this as a haunting, think of it as a glorious family reunion.

When attending a Vodou ceremony it is a good idea to approach the experience with a blank slate, and a relaxed, open mind, ready to learn. Check your cultural baggage at the door and enjoy the ride of a totally new experience!

a group of vodou practitioners dressed in white — Dancing at a Vodou ceremony
Photo: Franck Fontain

Wear something nice, but not white!

What you wear matters! Business casual attire is appropriate. Avoid loud T-shirts or anything ratty or worn out. Men can dress in jeans and a short sleeve button-up shirt, and women jeans and a blouse. Aim for fancy but respectful clothing, and no lavish jewelry. Rural dances will generally be more casual.

Color is a key consideration. The purity of white is highly significant at the dance and is reserved for Vodou practitioners, so it’s best not to wear white to any Vodou ritual. Patterns and colors are acceptable – but be careful with colorful head scarves! Keep reading to find out why.

It’s helpful to remember that Haiti can be remarkably hot at nearly any time of year and even sometimes at night. Linen and cotton are your best friend, regardless of whether you plan to attend a ceremony in a city or rural environment.

Bring an offering

While a Vodou dance is no dinner party, it is appropriate to bring an offering of alcohol. Wine is not the hostess’ beverage of choice in this case. Ask if you can offer a liter or half gallon of unrefined rum, called kleren. You can buy it locally and inexpensively almost everywhere in Haiti, but the gesture is important and will be valued, particularly in rural settings. Kleren is the fuel of many Vodou dances, offered to the spirits and the sèvitè (servants of the spirits) alike. The drummers – who often play all night and into the dawn – will be especially appreciative.

a vodou priest and practitioner performing a dance — A ougan at a Vodou ceremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

Beginning the dance

A series of prayers, sometimes Roman Catholic in origin, begin the ceremony. Vodou spirits who serve as gatekeepers are saluted with appropriate honors, offerings, and invocations. If invoking the fiery Petwo lwa, voudiwizans might use whip-cracks, whistles, gasoline and even lit gunpowder to get their attention.

Who leads the dance?

You will be able to identify the Vodou initiates (the men and women who will orchestrate the ceremony) by their all-white ceremonial garb. Most initiates wear traditional Haitian skirts in white, starched white blouses and a white handkerchief on the head. Some may wear colorful satin headwraps. The color of the headwrap is associated with the lwa being served that day, but it also indicates rank in the temple hierarchy.

Mambo or manbo is the name for a female Vodou priestess. Ougan is the name for a male Vodou priest. Mambo and ougan are figures of great authority and respect in the community, responsible for intervening in a wide range of societal hardships, from illness to family conflict, financial trouble or even just a string of bad luck. As intermediaries between the lwa and humans, they act as servants who restore health, harmony and balance.

Drumming is believed to create a passageway to the spirit world. It’s a rhythmic invitation to the lwa to attend the dance being held in his or her honor. Much like a radio station, when the drummers tune into the specific FM frequency of the lwa, it begins to broadcast on that channel. Each lwa has their own drum rhythm and associated dances, and there can be variations between traditions, as well – a Dahomey-descended drum rhythm is different from a Congo-descended drum rhythm. Initiates can spend lifetimes perfecting their repertoire.

cosmogram being traces on floor with hand holding a candle — A vèvè being drawn on the floor of a hounfour
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

Vèvè cosmograms

Towards the beginning of the dance, initiated Vodou practitioners will trace a vèvè cosmogram on the floor with white powder. This takes immense skill, precision and training. These symmetrical vèvè are ancient and unique to each lwa.

Once it is traced in perfect symmetry on the floor of the temple, an essential element is in place permitting the lwa to descend. Like the unique drum rhythms, the unique cosmograms are call signs, drawing down a particular lwa. As well as the precisely-drawn vèvè on the ground, a sequined flag depicting the cosmogram is hung in a place of honor for all to see.

Learn more about the intricate art of Vodou symbols with our visual guide to the vèvè of Haitian Vodou.

Possession Trances

If the dance is a success, expect to see a possession trance. In creole the person possessed is known as the chwal (horse) that will be “ridden” by the lwa. Here’s how to identify a chwal:

You may see people with pupils dilated, people with spasmodic behaviour, seemingly out of control of their bodies doing the impossible like walking over flaming hot coals. There is no need to be alarmed when people give their bodies over to the lwa to be directed in this way. It means the ceremony is a success, and it represents a culmination of complex rites and practices that have survived hundreds of years of repression.

The trance is an opportunity for the spirit to perform healing through the possessed chwal. Blessings may take place, and it’s also a chance for the lwa to rebuke those in the community who need to smarten up and change their ways.

The possession trance may last for just a few minutes or for several hours. The chwal who has given his or her body in service to the lwa will most likely wake up exhausted, not remembering what has transpired.

people dressed in white dancing and drumming during vodou ritual — Drumming and dancing at a Vodou ceremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

If you’re afraid of the devil or possession…

Put aside imagery from horror films like The Exorcist or associations of possession with demons. Instead, remember that people enter the possession trance willingly. No matter what happens, remember that Vodou is practiced to restore order, balance, health, and harmony in the lives of its followers.

Many non-practitioners both in Haiti and abroad have been taught to associate Haitian Vodou with evil, demonic possession and even satanism. This is rather silly and slanderous, as there is not even a satan figure in the Vodou pantheon of spirits who could be worshiped.

Vodou practitioners believe in a supreme god named Bondye or Gran Met who is all-powerful yet remains aloof. There is no devil counterpart to Bondye, and like the concept of “source” or “godhead”, he is not directly involved in human affairs. The multitude of lwa – spirits of the ancestors – serve as intermediaries, much more comparable to the saints of the Catholic church than demons.

Still afraid you might get spontaneously possessed? Read our article Haitian Vodou Revealed to learn why this won’t happen.

Animal sacrifice

To ask for good luck, the servants of the spirits may make a blood sacrifice. Animals like roosters, chickens, doves, pigs, and goats may be slaughtered during the ceremony. The offering can be more or less bloody depending on whether it is for a fiery Petwo bosu (bull) spirit offering compared to, say, a ceremony held in honor of the gentle rada Marassa twins.

For western travelers who have grown up aware of PETA campaigns and animal rights activism work, it may be difficult to fathom 5,000 year-old ancient rituals being practiced largely unchanged today. If you are concerned about your reaction to this ancient practice, ask for details in advance so you can decide whether or not to attend.

older haitian women dressed in pink with chair on head — Women at a Vodou ceremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

Do your homework

Haiti’s National Museum in Port-au-Prince is a great place to see some of the oldest, most historic Vodou drums – some date back to the 1500’s! The Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien (MUPANAH) is located on the Champs de Mars Boulevard and features a collection showcasing the heroes of the independence revolution, and the tools they used to found modern Haitian culture.

Just around the corner from the National Museum is the Bureau of Ethnology, a museum dedicated entirely to Haitian Vodou! If possible, do visit at least one of these museums prior to your Vodou ceremony experience.

LGBTQ+ and Safe Spaces

Cross-dressing, trans identies, and all gender expressions are welcome in Vodou communities. Same-sex relationiships and behaviour are often accepted without question. No one bats an eye – in this space, at least, these minority identities are respected as servants of the goddess of love, Erzulie. Expect the dance to be a safe space. You may see men in women’s dresses and much stranger things.

haitian vodou practitioners during ceremony — A ‘Chire Aiyzan’ ritual being performed during a Vodou eremony
Photo: Pierre Michel Jean

100% Vodou

The truth is, that even some Haitians who follow the Protestant or Catholic traditions and attend mass on Sundays can be found seeking advice from a mambo or ougan during the week. In fact, a popular bumper sticker in Port-au-Prince reads “Haiti, 80% Protestant 100% Vodouisan.” For outsiders, this widely-accepted practice can be hard to understand. Yet when a family member falls ill or life situations get dire, this faith-flexibility is common. It’s part of the complex syncretism of Haitian culture, where things are multi-layered and far richer in meaning than they often seem on the surface. Some people might go so far as to argue that you cannot truly understand Haitian culture until you have taken part in a Vodou ceremony.

At the end of the day, no matter your race, religion, sexual orientation or country of origin, you will be accepted with grace and warmth at a Vodou ceremony. Everyone is respected and the protection, good luck, and wishes for good health are extended to all who attend.

What do you say? Maybe it’s time to dance…

Written by Emily Bauman.

Published January 2021.

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Parc de Martissant

December 10, 2020 by Editor

lush green garden area with path — Parc de Martissant
Photo: FOKAL

Parc de Martissant

This park houses gorgeous flowers, medicinal plants and the Haitian home of the ‘matriarch of black dance’.

Created in 2007 by joining together four huge estates, the Parc de Martissant provides public oasis where people can relax, share skills and culture. Students and tutors from nearby schools are often found wandering in the park, reading or chatting together. The second central aim of the park is to preserve Haiti’s beautiful native flora.

Year round, the garden is bursting with tropical sights and smells: pink and yellow frangipani, hibiscus, red ginger (or ginger lily), spider lily, the exotic ‘lobster-claws’ flower and dozens of others we didn’t know the name of.

Stroll through lush rolling lawns, roped paths, feature trees, flower guilds and wooded groves circumscribed by stone walls, natural amphitheatres and outdoor galleries as well as three separate groups of buildings, most notably the Katherine Dunham Center.

building with futuristic designed roof in public park — Katherine Dunham Cultural Center, Port-au-Prince
Photo: FOKAL

The Katherine Dunham Center

The Center was once the residence of African-American dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham, the ‘matriarch of black dance.’ In 1935, Dunham obtained travel fellowships to the Caribbean to further her studies on dance and vodun – or vodou – leading her straight to Haiti.

Here, she spent an extensive amount of time researching, learning, and developing her own dance method. After Dunham passed away in 2006, her property was transformed into a cultural center, and now features an iconic library, whose five buildings – built to emulate movements of dance – were designed by Mexican architects Raúl Galvan Yañez and Winifred Jean Galvan. This library is a hive of activity for students and fans with cultural activities, public readings and more each week.

garden area with rosemary and other herbs — The Medicinal Garden, Parc de Martissant
Photo: Ray Ginald / FOKAL

The medicine garden

The Centre is also where you’ll find guides willing to show you around Parc de Martissant’s extensive garden of medicinal plants. The tour is very detailed, and guides are always more than happy to answer questions, but visitors are free to walk around and observe by themselves if they prefer.

Depending on the time of year, some of the plants are blossoming or yielding fruit. The medicinal plant garden sits adjacent to a community produce garden, whose bounty is gathered whenever it is ripe and made available to the local community.

old concrete swimming pool without water in a tropical garden — Habitation Leclerc, Parc de Martissant
Photo: FOKAL

Habitation Leclerc

Elsewhere in the park’s 17 acres, you’ll find a former luxury hotel called Habitation Leclerc. In the sixties and seventies, the villas with private pools of Habitation Leclerc was a point of reference for the jet-setting elite of the world.

artwork sculpture haning from tree with pink flowers — Art installation by Pascale Monnin at Parc de Martissant
Photo: Valérie Baeriswyl

The earthquake memorial

The third major installation of Parc de Martissant is the January 12 2010 Memorial. It was built on the former residence of Haitian architect Albert Mangonès – the sculptor behind the Marron inconnu or Nèg mawon statue at Champ-de-Mars.

Erected in 2012, the memorial is a symbolic resting place for the souls of those who passed away during the 2010 earthquake. Residents of Martissant planted ylang ylang trees on the perimeter of the memorial and every afternoon the trees’ scent is released throughout the area at a similar time to that of the deadly earthquake in 2010.

The memorial also features a permanent art installation by Haitian artist Pascale Monnin. Skulls made from iron and cement covered in mirror shards hang from a giant tree, twisting and swinging in the wind. Monnin shaped and crafted these skulls based on the faces of residents of Martissant. From the early hours of morning into the late afternoon, they catch and reflect the Caribbean sunlight.

How to visit

The best time to visit the park is in the morning. The ravaging heat of Martissant will not yet be in full effect, and the park is still waking up.

The park is designed with an organic flow in mind – while there isn’t always designated seating, there are low walls or stairs where visitors often sit and hang out.

Guided tours at Parc de Martissant are paid. Children under 6 years of age enter free of change; those between 7 and 18 years old pay 25 gourdes, and people over 18 years of age pay 50 gourdes. The spaces that are currently open for touring are the January 12 2010 Memorial, the Katherine Dunham Cultural Center, and the medicinal plant garden.

If you are planning to visit the center, it is worth noting that the guided tours are in Haitian Creole – therefore, having a bilingual friend or guide to tag along is a good idea! If you visit during the summer, you will greatly benefit from making a reservation in advance, as the tour guides tend to be quite busy during that time of the year with group excursions.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published December 2020

Top things to see in Haiti

Catch a show with Haitian Vodou rock band RAM

November 19, 2020 by Anton Lau

haitian lead singer in band dancing in front of microphone — RAM performing at Hotel Oloffson
Photo: RAM.com

Catch a show with Haitian Vodou rock and roots band RAM

Every Saturday night at the Oloffson, the band RAM delivers an unforgettable performance of Vodou-infused rock. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

Every Saturday night at the Hotel Oloffson, the band RAM – a Haitian national treasure – delivers an unforgettable performance of Vodou-infused rock. If you’re not a guest at the hotel or paying for a sit-down dinner, you’ll need to pay an entry fee of 500 HTG (about 5 U.S. dollars). The show starts around 10:30. Expect sing-a-longs with an enthusiastic crowd and dancing all night long.

haitian musicians playing on trumpets — RAM performers with vaksin horns
Photo: RAM.com

On the gothic gingerbread verandah of the Oloffson, you can join a decades-long tradition of watching the sun set over Port-au-Prince with a rum sour or rum punch. On Saturday nights, there’s another ritual going on.

Weekly performances by RAM have become a ceremony loved by all levels of society. Remarkably, in a country where consistency is hard to find, the band has consistently gigged at the Oloffson since 1990, when the band’s frontman took over running the hotel. In fact, the band gets its name from the initials of the Oloffson’s owner, Richard Auguste Morse. Morse’s wife, Lunise, is the lead singer and main dancer.

A “Vodou rock and roots” band, RAM incorporates traditional Vodou lyrics and instruments, such as rara horns and Petwo drums, into modern rock-and-roll grooves. Their lyrics are sung in a macaronic medley of Haitian creole, French and English that islanders and diaspora can appreciate especially. To hear it is to connect with a distinctive sound that could only have been born in Haiti.

haitian band performing in front of crowd — RAM performing at Hotel Oloffson
Photo: RAM.com

RAM live: an unmissable experience

First off, expect to see anyone and everyone here. The shows are and have always been attended not just by often-international hotel guests but a diverse spectrum of the country’s political and ethnic groups and subcultures. Humanitarian workers line the front row next to cross-dressed dancers and Haitian artists from nearby downtown neighborhoods. Corner tables are occupied by foreign ambassadors and visiting celebrities, or Grammy award-winning musicians with a love for Haiti.

The lights are few and far between, and often shine out blue and red. Near the permanent stage erected in the heart of the Oloffson mansion, genuine vodouwizan practitioners can be spotted in the throng of dancers. Some of the people in the crowd have been regulars here for 20 years. One woman in a white traditional frock and elaborate satin turban loves to spray sacred flower-scented florida water on the crowd. Many know the lyrics by heart, no matter what decade the song is from. Several people appear to have entered their own worlds, dancing with unearthly vigour, evoking the scenes of ritual possession one might see at a Vodou ceremony or at the Haitian Day of the Dead.

haitian musicians in red and blue dresses performing — RAM performing
Photo: RAM.com

The early days of RAM

The band started in 1990 when Morse negotiated the lease for the Hotel – then very dilapidated. He created a folklore dance troupe along with his wife and a group of musicians – many from the poorer districts of nearby downtown neighborhoods.

RAM prides itself on having deep roots but always adapting to the times. Many of the lyrics have subtle or not-so-subtle political messages. In the new release “Ayiti Leve”, the lyrics (in Kreyòl) say: “Haiti you sleep too much. It’s time to wash your eyes.” The music video shows the corridors of the Oloffson clouded in darkness. The lead singer’s son, William – also bass guitarist for the band – sits on a traditional high-backed wooden chair in the dark. His mother Lunise walks through the french doors and hands him a candle, illuminating his face and the iconic porch behind him.

The Vodou-inspired drumming is classic RAM but this time the visual is unexpected. “Wake up. See where you are,” the lyrics continue. One by one, Lunise places a candle in each of the band members’ hands. It’s the same shadow play that makes visitors of the Oloffson aware they are wading thickly into something unseen.

Their 2020 Carnival song, “Kongo Lazil O (Kan’w Pran Ou Konnen)” marked RAM’s 28th carnival song release, spanning an era that has seen violent revolts, revolutions, and sometimes unpopular public opinions of RAM’s frontman Morse.

During the years of Haiti’s military regime, one of RAM’s songs, “Fèy” (“Leaf” in english), was censored nationally and eventually banned from radio play by the regime, who correctly perceived it to be a song covertly supporting the exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In defiance of death threats, the band continued to play weekly concerts at the Oloffson – until Morse only narrowly escaped a kidnapping, almost being carried out by junta authorities from the hotel in the middle of a performance in 1994. In 1998, the band’s lyrics offended the newly-elected mayor of Port-au-Prince, and they survived an assasination attempt on their float during a Carnival performance. While the Thursday night performances have been switched to Saturdays in 2020, RAM continues to use their iconic stage as a launch pad for social commentary. The band is loyal to providing lyrical provocation to Haiti’s political landscape.

How to see the show

RAM plays on Saturday nights at the Hotel Oloffson, 60 Ave Christophe, Port-au-Prince, in the neighbourhood of Saint Gérard, just near trendy Pacot.

The show is free for hotel guests and dinner customers. If you’re not sleeping at the hotel or paying for a sit-down dinner, you’ll need to pay an entry fee of 500 HTG (about 5 U.S. dollars). The show starts around 10:30 and runs until late.

Written by Emily Bauman.

Published November 2020

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Vodou

Fèt Gede: A celebration of Life on the Day of the Dead

See the photos from a Fête Gédé celebration in Gonaïves and discover the most anticipated festival in Haitian culture! A celebration of Life on the Day of the Dead for both Christians and practitioners of Haitian Vodou.

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A Visual Guide to Vodou Symbols

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Haitian Vodou Revealed

When it comes to Haitian Vodou, what is fact, and what is fiction? Test your knowledge of the world’s most maligned spiritual tradition.

start your day the Haitian way

Devil-worship or disinformation?

Test your knowledge of Vodou

1. True or false: there are separate branches of Vodou

2. True or false: Vodou is all sinister sorcery and black magic

Bring Haiti’s Mystical Art Home!

3. True or false: voodoo dolls are real

4. True or false: zombies are real

5. True or false: vodou and Christianity first merged in the new world

From Our Land to Your Home

6. True or false: it’s dangerous to attend a Vodou ceremony because you’ll get possessed

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Further reading

Your pocket guide to Cap-Haïtien

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How Haitian Are You? Prove Yourself with This Cultural Quiz!

Whether you were born and live in Haiti, are part of the diaspora, or are not Haitian at all, this quiz is the perfect way to find out just how much you know about Haiti!

Let’s test how Haitian you are!

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How to Attend a Vodou Ceremony in Haiti

Skulls, sequins and gunpowder smoke – here’s a glimpse inside a modern Haitian vodou ceremony. Find out how to attend and what to expect.

From Our Land to Your Home

Find out about a Vodou dans

Find out ahead of time who and what the dance will be for

Expect to be there a while

What a vodou temple looks like

Check your cultural baggage at the door

Wear something nice, but not white!

Bring Haiti’s Mystical Art Home!

Bring an offering

Beginning the dance

Who leads the dance?

Vèvè cosmograms

Bring Haiti’s Mystical Art Home!

Possession Trances

If you’re afraid of the devil or possession…

Animal sacrifice

Do your homework

Bring Haiti’s Mystical Art Home!

LGBTQ+ and Safe Spaces

100% Vodou

Citadelle Henri

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

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Parc de Martissant

This park houses gorgeous flowers, medicinal plants and the Haitian home of the ‘matriarch of black dance’.

start your day the Haitian way

The Katherine Dunham Center

The medicine garden

Habitation Leclerc

The earthquake memorial

From Our Land to Your Home

How to visit

Haitian Cultural Traditions You Didn’t Know About

Top things to see in Haiti

Paradise for your inbox

Catch a show with Haitian Vodou rock and roots band RAM

Every Saturday night at the Oloffson, the band RAM delivers an unforgettable performance of Vodou-infused rock. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

RAM live: an unmissable experience

Discover Sacred Vodou Symbols!

The early days of RAM

From Our Land to Your Home

How to see the show

Go on a self-guided tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Paradise for your inbox

Plan Your Trip

Select Language

start your day
the Haitian way

A Visual Guide to
Vodou Symbols

start your day
the Haitian way

start your day
the Haitian way

Go on a self-guided
tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses