September Ceremony, Part II

The children of the family and the surrounding area looked forward to the September ceremony mainly because of the treats. This was a ceremony held for the children and it’s only fitting that the way to a kid’s heart is through sweets. You may also recall that our African traditions are intertwined with our Roman Catholic faith so a few days before the family had a special mass at the church.

St. Francis Church

The African name for the September vodunu is E’minona. But I must say that I really don’t remember this or any other African names for the 5 sacrifices per year in the heyday.

We wore white on Thursday and blue on Friday. Likewise, the baskets with the treats were blue and white. Why? Well these are the colours of the Christian saint St. Ann. The vodun equivalent for St. Ann is AGBE. Remember from the Vodun creation story that was posted on August 23, AGBE is one of a pair of twins who inhabits the sea and is responsible for the water.

AGBE & NAETE

Like in the other ceremonies, a cow, goats and chickens are sacrificed. In September, pigeons and guinea fowls are added to the menu. I’m sure I ate both as a child, but have no memory of what these birds taste like. But since AGBE is the goddess of the sea and water, why didn’t we have fish?

Guinea Fowl

However, the highlight of the evening is when one or two of the vodunsis (dancers) dances with a pair of baskets. This is the sign that your basket of treats is just a few minutes away. The kids lined up outside the vodunkwe (a small room a stone’s throw away from the tent where the drumming, singing and dancing is going on). I don’t know what happened after I received my basket because I was too busy enjoying all the homemade sweets!

Sugar Cake