Known as the Festival of the Ancestors, Fet Gede (Fet = Festival, Gede = The Sacred Dead) is the Vodou equivalent of Mardi Gras, the Mexican Day of the Dead, and Halloween, all in one. People dress up, take to the streets, dance their communion with the ancestors, and walk in processions to the graveyards where they feed their ancestral dead with the gifts of their own table. In this way, spirits are honoured and their protection is gained for the coming year.
In peristyles up and down the country, there is music, dancing and feasting. The priests and the people come together, and there is enough drumming, singing, and laughter to – literally! – raise the dead. It is a time for celebration, for reconnecting with the past, and preparing for the future, with music, processions, sacred rituals and spiritual observances taking place throughout.
Connecting with the ancestors in this way opens new doors to understanding not only the past influences that have played their part in shaping our lives, but, often, the current issues we are facing. By reconnecting with our past, these issues are resolved through new insights into our lives. Our pathways into the future also become clearer. It is heartening to know that our ancestors are not lost to us, but continue to play a part in our lives by offering us their love and care from the world of the spirit.
During the ceremonies of Fet Gede, there is always a spiritual procession to the cemetery, with ancestral services at the Cross of Baron, the lwa who is guardian of the cemetery, the crossroads, the bridge between life and death, and head of the family of Gedes (the ancestors). With riotous good humour, Baron is a gentle protector of his people and of children. There is a story in Haiti of a mass manifestation of 30 Barons who marched fearlessly on the Presidential Palace to demand justice for the people during the turbulent days of the now long-gone Duvalier regime. Even the dictator Duvalier had to listen to the will of Baron, and the policy which offended the lwa was duly changed!
One of the most moving ceremonies of this week is an ancestral service at kay mo (House of the Ancestors) that each Houngan has as part of his peristyle. People often bring with them photographs or other images of ancestors they wish to honour, and any special offerings of food or drink enjoyed by those ancestors during their lives. They then make a personal service of reverence for their loved ones, which enables them to let go of unhelpful influences from the past as well as thanking the ancestors and accepting their helpful gifts for the future.
