Halloween was the first major holiday that we had here, and I was very interested to see how we/the country as a whole were going to celebrate it. Halloween, as we know it in the States, is not really a thing here. Kids don't get dressed up and go from house to house collecting candy. Instead, it is more of a religious holiday.
November 1st is All Saints' Day and then November 2nd is All Souls' Day. All Saint's Day celebrates all those people who have "attained the beatific vision" or actually seen God (Wikipedia), while All Souls' Day remembers those who have died. There are many ways in which these days are celebrated around the world. In many countries people visit the graves of loved ones, light candles, leave offerings of food and celebrate their life.
Just like other countries around the world, Haiti has its own way of celebrating these days. For example, many people who follow Christianity attended a service and pray for the deceased. Yet, this is only one of the ways that Haitians observe these holy feast days. While 80% of population here consider themselves to be Roman Catholic, at least half of the population practices a religion known as Voodoo (CIA World Factbook). Voodoo has a long history in Haiti, with its origins stemming from the thousands of African slaves who were brought to the island during the 17th and 18th centuries to work on sugar plantations. But it also incorporates aspects of Catholicism. In general, voodoo in Haiti refers to "all African-derived religious practices..." (Olmos, pg. 102). (I know the citations make this a little more formal, but thanks to my four years at college, I was taught to always cite your sources...no matter what!!)
There is one, rather distant, god at the top of the voodoo religion. This god is not openly concerned with people on earth, but transmits his desires and power through the many "lwa/loa" or spirits that link humans with the divine (Olmos, pg. 105, 109). The lwa give "help, protection, and counsel" while believers give "ritual service" which take both individual and communal forms (Olmos, pg. 102). These include feeding the spirits, the offering of sacrifices, and group ceremonies. Voodoo priests communicate with these spirits and gods while being possessed and then pass the message along to other believers. The spirits are derived from African gods, Creole gods and Catholic saints.
The spirits can be divided into two families, the Rada or "dous" (sweet) gods and the Petwo or "anme" (bitter) gods (Olmos, pg. 110). There are many spirits within the Rada family including Papa Legba, Azaka, Agwe, and Ezili Freda. Legba is the god who "'removes the barriers'" between the earth and the spirit world. His permission must be asked before ceremonies proceed or other gods can be called (Olmos, pg. 110). Agwe is god of the water - "captain and protector of ships at sea, of all marine or aquatic life , and of fishermen" (Olmos, pg. 111). Azaka is the god of agriculture and people who work the land. Ezili Freda is the "goddess of love and luxury." Fun Fact - For those of you who have seen the musical
Once on this Island, the characters from the play are based on these spirits and the strong belief that the gods will provide, punish and protect those on earth can be seen in Haitian culture today.
Although there are several gods within the Petwo family, I am going to focus on one, because it brings us back to the main topic of this post - Halloween/Day of the Dead. Bawon Samdi (Baron Saturday) is said to be the leader of the Gede's, a family of spirits that are "confined to the world of the dead" (Olmos, pg. 113). These spirits are mischievous and during ceremonies bring "merriment and...coarse, raunchy jokes" (Olmos, pg. 113). Bawon Samdi is thought to be obscene and disruptive and a strong lover of tobacco and rum. He accepts individuals into the realm of the dead, but can also heal those who are near death. He is often depicted wearing a black suit, a top hat and sunglasses.
It is this god who is celebrated during All Saints and All Souls day. I personally did not witness any of the festivities, but according to the several articles that I have read, it looks like there are large celebrations in Port-au-Prince. For example, large crowds gather at a cross dedicated to Bawon Samdi in the National Cemetery. Some pray, some become possessed by members of the Gede family and many dance and sing. In addition to this, people light candles and visit the graves of the deceased.
This is only a rough outline of voodoo here in Haiti. There is much more to the religion than what I have given you. Voodoo is an extremely important part of Haitian life and culture. In a short National Geographic video I watched, it said that while many people in the country consider themselves Christian or Catholic, everyday life still moves in the realm of the spirits. I have not had that much firsthand experience with voodoo here, but I have heard voodoo ceremonies from afar, which included constant and intense drumming. Beth and I heard some kind of healing ceremony from a voodoo temple near the school. We did not see anything, but we heard chanting/singing and what sounded like spitting, as if someone was trying to rid themselves of something. I have heard that some sick people, whether it be a physical ailment or a mental one, will go to voodoo priests for healing instead of, or in addition to, going to a doctor. Given these, as well as other stories that I have heard, it was nice to learn more about voodoo and shed some light on something that, up until now, was an aspect of Haitian culture that I knew very little about.
Our Halloween was much more "traditional" in the American sense. We decided that everyone needed to dress up and Beth and I made a throughly "spooky" dinner. We decorated our dinning room, watched Hocus Pocus and even got candy corn! It was a fun evening and it was awesome to see how creative everyone got with their costumes.
Happy (late) Halloween!!
Since we couldn't carve any pumpkins...
The rest of our ghoulish grub - pumpkin shaped carrots, bone breadsticks, pumpkin cupcakes, red gatorade with hand ice cubes and stuffed peppers with brains (ground beef and red sauce) spilling out.
Frankie, the hippie, Pippy Longstocking (aka Beth), and the majestic peacock!
The whole clan lookin' sharp! Sr. Pat, Sr. Jackie, Frankie, and myself are in the back. Beth and Eliza are in the front.
The elusive peacock was spotted in her natural habitat attempting to look as bird-like as possible.
These seemed a fitting treat for the house – Jesus Promise Seeds that were pastel-colored candy corn. It was pretty nice to have this Halloween staple.
Sources:
- Olmos, Margarite Fernandez, and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert. Creole Religions of the Caribbean: An Introduction from Vodou and Santeria to Obeah and Espiritismo. New York: New York University Press, 2003. (I found it on Google Books.)
- http://www.wehaitians.com/day%20of%20the%20dead.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Samedi
- http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/haiti_haitianvoodoo
- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html
