The most dramatic festival in Haitian Vodou. Baron Samedi, the lwa of death, stands at the crossroads between life and the afterlife. He wears a top hat, dark glasses, and a tuxedo. His devotees paint their faces like skulls, drink rum infused with 21 hot peppers, and dance in cemeteries. The Gede spirits (the dead) are bawdy, sexual, and fearless. They mock the living because they have already passed through death’s gate.
Afro-Caribbean · November 1
Fet Gede / Baron Samedi's Night (Vodou Festival of the Dead)
From the compendium
Baron SamediBaron Samedi: the Haitian lwa of death. He wears a top hat and tails, drinks rum and hot peppers, tells obscene jokes, and decides who lives and who…
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