OUIDAH, Benin – The Vodun Days festival in Ouidah aims to dispel long-held misconceptions about voodoo, drawing both tourists and spiritual practitioners each year.
During the event, Modeste Zinsou, manager of Benin’s Python Temple, demonstrated the sacred connection between voodoo and snakes by wrapping a live snake around a visitor’s neck. Zinsou and other practitioners used the festival to counter negative stereotypes surrounding voodoo, a religion with a rich history spanning over 500 years.
“Voodoo is not about dolls,” said Zinsou. “Voodoo is spirituality. It is about us, the world around us, and the energies that connect us.”
The festival, which attracts both worshippers and tourists, features a variety of activities, including ceremonies, concerts, and exhibitions. Among the highlights were performances by dancers known as the “guardians of the night,” who spun and whirled in elaborate, ritualistic displays, dressed in dyed straw.
Voodoo priestess Gbogossi Tolete, from the nearby town of Grand Popo, was also on hand to clarify the faith’s true meaning. “Voodoo is not about harming anyone,” she explained. “It is a religion filled with sweetness and peace for those who follow it faithfully.”
Nathy Anika Nsemi, a tourist from Martinique, spoke about how the festival helped her reconnect with her ancestral roots. “Voodoo is a form of communion with the world around us,” she said.
