That is why every Jan. 10, Benin celebrates the annual Voodoo festival in the capital Ouidah, the former slave port during the Atlantic slave trade. Voodoo is completely normal in Benin. The president blames "domestic terror" for the unrest, as Democrats say he went to "spread hate".© 2020 BBC. All fetish items will likely be handed to you wrapped in cloth so your hands will not directly touch your purchase.Below a video from “Global Vision Africa” of the Benin Voodoo MarketCeremonies cost arounf 200 Euros, a fortune in a country where over half the population live on less than 1 Euro a day. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Voodoo Day is a public holiday and there is a national Voodoo museum. Benin is one of only two countries in the world where Voodoo is the official religion – the other being Haiti, in the Caribbean. Killing a python is believed to become a cause of one’s death. They also sometimes ask for offerings, such as a chicken or a sheep, which is then sacrificed to the divinity, or some alcohol is poured onto the floor. Voodoo is more than a belief system. Ouidah is Benin's Voodoo heartland, and thought to be the spiritual birthplace of Voodoo or Vodun as it known in Benin. The concept of reducing the cost of the sacrifices is laughable as priests have done this for years and rate that “Whatever Voodoo demands, Voodoo must get”.Benin’s poverty has been caused by factors including arid soil, over-population and disastrous financial management in 17 years up to 1990 when it was a Marxist dictatorship.

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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.People across West Africa, especially Togo, Ghana and Nigeria hold similar beliefs but in Benin it is recognised as an official religion, followed by some 40% of the population. This can happen when asking for help or when you wish has been granted.People seek help on a variety of issues - to be cured of a disease, find a job, complete a business deal, find a spouse or have a child.Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Benin, 'home of Voodoo'How one man's death reverberated around the world. Voodoo priests during a festival in benin. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. It has none of the negative connotations we in the west normally associate with it. Despite the worldly perception of Voodoo as evil or black magic, the religion’s ceremonies and rituals are actually more of “good magic,” as good spirits are preferred to be summoned by Voodoo priests because they are believed to be more powerful than bad spirits. Which country has the highest voodoo? Vodun (meaning spirit in the Fon and Ewe languages, pronounced [vodṹ] with a nasal high-tone u; also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou, Voudou, Voodoo, etc.) Each spirit represents the reincarnation of a dead member of the Nigerian 'Nagu' clan. Benin is considered the home of Voodoo which is also spelt as Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou or Voudou.Fun fact, the word Voodoo actually originated from Benin even though they say it as Vodoun. Voodoo Day is a public holiday and there is a national Voodoo museum.

People seek help on a variety of issues – to be cured of a disease, find a job, complete a business deal, find a spouse or have a child.This market sells anything associated with voodoo, including varieties of tree barks and dried plants (both used in traditional medicine) and stalwarts for voodoo rites, such as dried animal parts, particularly skins, heads and hoofs (anything from ducks, turtles and horses to dogs and monkeys). VideoGrowing up in the world's largest refugee camp. (Viewer discretion is advised). Voodoo paraphernalia. Other parents send their children to work as domestic servants or labourers in conditions that Souleymane Diallo, the UN Children’s Education Fund representative in Benin, describes as ‘a form of modern slavery’.Diallo believes many families will pay for initiation debts by selling one or more children into bonded labour. What makes Benin most interesting for tourists is its main religion, Voodoo. Connecting you to Africa through telling stories of her culture, history and heritage.OUIDAH, BENIN - JANUARY 10: Nigerian 'Voodoo Spirits' walk the streets on January 10, 2012 in Ouidah, Benin.

Voodoo claims a prominent place in the identity of Benin where the pantheon of gods includes more than 300 deities. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Benin is the place where the Voodoo, or vodu, was born and today is the official religion of the country; voodoo means "soul" or "strength" in Fon, and at the time of the Kingdom of Dahomey it has had its maximum development and has remained unaltered over the centuries, thanks also to the dignitaries of the cult who have been able to perpetrate the rituals and ceremonies, although in the period of the … The Voodoo Festival or the Fête du Vaudou on 10 January is a celebration of traditional religions in the West African country of Benin, the cradle of the voodoo cult. What Does Voodoo Mean? But for the people of Benin, Voodoo is a way of life and faith.

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