Voodoo - It's official

In early April 2003 the President of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristede declared that the government was officially recognising Voodoo as the country’s main religion.

Much of the population of Haiti traces its ancestry to African slaves. Led by Toussaint L’Ouverture, slaves on the island began a rebellion against the French colonial government in 1802. Though the rebel leader was captured and imprisoned in France (dying in 1803) the rebels managed to overthrow Napoleon’s soldiers and claimed independence early in 1804. Haiti was the first South (Latin) American and Caribbean country to claim its independence.

Whilst many of slaves in the Southern US States adopted Christianity as their faith, in most South (Latin) American countries, and especially in Haiti, ancient and diverse African animist and spiritist religious practices were mixed with elements of Christianity (particularly Roman Catholicism) as the faith expressions of slaves.

Though various governments, from early colonial days to more recent times, officially banned Voodoo in Haiti, it has remained entrenched amongst its 8 million citizens, with a reported three quarters of the population actively engaged in Voodoo. Most Voodoo gatherings have been held in seclusion and semi-secrecy for most of the time. Now it will be practiced openly and officially.