Voodoo Viewpoint - Haiti Observer Blog

While Haitians do not exactly celebrate Halloween, they have their own version of the holiday. It is called the Haitian Voodoo, a tradition wherein tributes are paid to dead ancestors on November 1, which is referred to as Fete Gede. It is believed that voodoo god Baron Samedi, who is always depicted as a man donning a black coat, a bowler hat, and a pair of eyeglasses with only one lens, always appears on that day. His wife Gran Brigitte holds the highest authority over cemeteries in Haiti.

To commemorate the tradition, Haitians troop to cemeteries to pay their respects to the dead every November 1. It is common for them to bring food, flowers, and rum with chili peppers at the cemeteries. The next day, Haitians will then honor the Catholic saints.

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You would see a lot of "zombies" roaming around on Halloween. This is because these creatures are a popular choice for costumes during the holiday. A lot of people dress like zombies to join Halloween festivities in order to be as fearful as they can be. But what is it about zombies that associate them with the dark side? And where do zombies really come from?

First of all, zombies are depicted as people who were brought back from the dead. They are like monsters, eating people and turning them into zombies. According to the common story, zombies live in graves and are awaken during the night. They do not think or speak. All they do is hurt and eat people in their way.

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