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Vodounnis an ancient African religion that had been suppressed by colonialnforces and others for centuries. Since 1991, however, this religionnhas gained a respectable place in the nation of Benin. NationalnVodoun Day is a time to honor Benin’s history, culture, andntraditions. It is a day of parades, rituals, dances, and anninternational film festival.
Vodounnis an ancient African religion that had been suppressed by colonialnforces and others for centuries. Since 1991, however, this religionnhas gained a respectable place in the nation of Benin. NationalnVodoun Day is a time to honor Benin’s history, culture, andntraditions. It is a day of parades, rituals, dances, and anninternational film festival.n
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| Gate of No Return |
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nBecausenBenin’s port of Ouidah was a important during the slave trade of then1500s to the 1800s, part of Vodoun Day is a re-enactment of thenjourney from the auction block in the center of town to ships in thenharbor. People walk the three kilometers of this “Route of thenSlaves,” pass memorials to enslaved peoples and statues honoringnthe ancient Dahomey kingdom, and finally go through the “Gate of NonReturn” sculpture. On the other side of the gate is the beach,nwhere the people find food to eat, music to dance to, and vendors andnartists with wares to buy.
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| Close-up of the memorial |
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nCelebratenBenin
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nGo West Africa has activities and stories to teach kids about Benin.
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nChecknout the photos of the Route of the Slaves from Cosmo Connections.
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nBynthe way…
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nEvennif you have never heard of the religion Vodoun (also spelled Vodon and Vodun),nyou may have heard of the offshoot that developed among the enslavednAfrican-heritage people in the New World. That offshoot religion isncalled Voodoo.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAstronomer Simon Marius’s birthday
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AstronomernRobert Woodrow Wilson’s birthday
AstronomernRobert Woodrow Wilson’s birthdayn
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nAnniversarynof first subway
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nAnniversarynof first aerial photo in U.S.
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Anniversarynof a successful Amelia Earhart flight
Anniversarynof a successful Amelia Earhart flightn
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