The Ouidah Voodoo Festival

BENIN

Thousands of people travel to Benin every January from all over Africa to take part in the beachside ceremonies. Festivalgoers join processions, perform animal sacrifices and also pay respects to those who were uprooted from their homelands by the slave trade. Zangbeto, or “voodoo night watchmen,” stand guard in intricate costumes made of hay to maintain safety and communicate with the spirit world.