**Haiti’s Day of the Dead: A Tradition Compromised in the Grip of Violence**
Haiti’s Day of the Dead, or Fèt Gede, is an annual celebration filled with centuries-old meaning and tradition. However, this year, these commemorations have been drastically altered by the country’s rising violence.
The festivity represents a pivotal time when Haitians gather at cemeteries to honor their ancestors. As part of the voodoo festival, participants light candles and set up altars adorned with bones, food, and bottles of artisanal rum, which are offered to the spirits of the deceased in exchange for protection.
In the heart of the capital city of Port-au-Prince’s main cemetery lies the tomb of the first deceased buried there. It is believed to hold the remains of the guardian of the dead, known in Haitian voodoo as Baron Samedi.
Yet this year, few people ventured into the cemeteries on the morning of the holiday, after armed men appeared on the scene.
“It is because of the insecurity that this day is very different from previous years. The faithful, the pilgrims and the merchants who used to come are not there. There is nothing,” lamented Raymond Valcin, director of the national cemetery.
It is located in an area that is part of the 85% of Port-au-Prince already under the control of rival gangs.
An escalation of violence that began in February this year has already left thousands dead and injured, and forced many more to flee.
United Nations figures released last Wednesday show that during the period from July to September, more than 1,740 people were killed or injured in Haiti, an increase of nearly 30% compared to the previous quarter.
Voodoo is an official and widely practiced religion in Haiti, born in the 16th century when slaves merged West African religious beliefs with Catholicism.
In these troubled times, the Day of the Dead in Haiti is losing its splendor and serenity, transcending the surrounding violence to perpetuate a centuries-old tradition, a vibrant testimony to the cultural richness of this country.