Beninese voodoo is lived far beyond the great ceremonies: in families it blends into ordinary life, through simple gestures, family obligations, a consultation before an important decision, respect for a place or a prohibition. One can work in town, use a phone or live abroad, and keep a relationship with one’s tradition.
At the temple of Sakété, vodun outside the ceremonies
Direct observationWêtê Agbonon, vodun priest and bokonon of the Fâ, at the temple of Sakété
This may be one of the hardest things to make a visitor understand. Someone who arrives in Benin during a great ceremony sees drums, songs, dances, clothes, processions and sometimes spectacular manifestations, and may leave thinking that vodun is practised only on certain days. For many families, it is quite otherwise. Religion can be present in the way an activity begins, in respect for a place, in a family obligation, in a prayer, in a consultation of the Fâ, or in a particular relationship with a divinity. It can also be far more discreet[1].
Key points
- Vodun is lived every day, through simple gestures and family obligations.
- Making one of these gestures does not make anyone an initiate.
- Initiation adds responsibilities to ordinary life without erasing it.
Vodun is a relationship, with a history, a family, a community and divinities[1].
The small gestures
Some simple gestures can carry a religious or family meaning:[1]
- greeting;
- respecting an altar or a sacred place;
- not crossing certain spaces;
- respecting a prohibition known in one’s family;
- making an offering when it is expected;
- consulting before an important decision;
- giving thanks after asking for something.
These gestures may seem ordinary from outside; for the person who makes them, they can matter greatly. And a Beninese can make them without being initiated: one must distinguish family culture, religious practice, initiation and priesthood. In front of a house, one often passes Legba, the guardian of the threshold[1].
A way of life
This is how Benin presents it to UNESCO: vodun brings together beliefs in divinities, social practices through rituals, and a way of life, in which the ancestors hold a central place[2]. It also runs through other religions: many Beninese who call themselves Christian or Muslim also practise vodun[3]. The bond can even begin before birth: according to a 2013 research report, a vodun can choose a person through a vow at birth, through dreams or through illness[4].
| What one does | What it means |
|---|---|
| A gesture or a family obligation | The culture and memory of a family |
| A prayer, an offering, a consultation of the Fâ | A religious practice |
| A consecration to a vodun | Initiation, which makes a vodunsi |
| Being in charge of a cult or of the Fâ | Priesthood, that of priests and bokonon |
See The vodunsi and What is the Fâ?.
An ordinary day
In a family attached to its tradition, vodun can be present without filling the day. People get up, work, go to school, drive, go to market, look after the children, go to church or to the mosque. And yet certain traditional obligations continue. Vodun does not force anyone to live apart from modern society: a vodunsi can use a phone, drive a car, work in a company, live in town and travel abroad. Initiation does not erase ordinary life; it adds responsibilities to it[1].
Living one’s tradition abroad
Distance changes a great deal. Someone who leaves Benin may no longer have easy access to their temple, their religious family or certain places, and looks for other ways to keep the bond: the phone, visits home, passing things on to children, respecting family obligations, relationships with the priests of their tradition. But living in France, the United States or elsewhere does not mean abandoning one’s tradition. A tradition can travel: that is exactly what the history of vodun in the Americas teaches. It also changes, and I see that as normal: a living tradition must be able to cross time and borders without staying locked in an old image of itself. What must not disappear is respect for transmission[1].
For me, that is the difference between pretending to practise vodun and truly living a relationship with a tradition. Vodun is not put on like a costume for a ceremony, nor bought like a collection of symbols on the Internet. It is a relationship: with a history, a family, a community, divinities, and a way of understanding the world. And that relationship demands respect[1].
What we know, and how we know it
What comes from oral tradition
The gestures and obligations of each family are passed down within it[1].
What comes from direct observation
The four degrees of relationship with vodun, and vodun lived abroad, come from my practice[1].
What is documented
Vodun as a way of life, its practice alongside other religions and the call of a vodun are described by official sources and researchers[2][3][4].
What is interpretation
Seeing initiation as adding responsibilities to ordinary life is a reading I defend[1].
What is still debated
How traditions change abroad is observed differently between families and communities[1].
Common misconceptions about everyday vodun
- “Vodun is only practised during ceremonies.” It is lived every day, through simple gestures[1].
- “Every gesture makes you an initiate.” Family culture, practice, initiation and priesthood are distinct[1].
- “A vodunsi must live apart from modern life.” Initiation adds responsibilities without erasing ordinary life[1].
Frequently asked questions
Is vodun practised every day in Benin?
Yes, in many families, through simple gestures, family obligations and consultations, far beyond the ceremonies.
Can you practise vodun and have a modern life?
Yes: a vodunsi can work, drive, use a phone and live abroad; initiation adds responsibilities.
Can you keep your vodun tradition abroad?
Yes, through family obligations, visits home, passing things on to children and links with priests.
Does a simple gesture make someone a practitioner?
No: family culture, religious practice, initiation and priesthood are different degrees.
Glossary
- Priesthood: the charge of priests and bokonon.
- Vodunsi: an initiate devoted to a vodun.
Notes and references
[1] Direct observation and oral transmission, Wêtê Agbonon, bokonon, temple of Sakété.
[2] UNESCO, Intangible Cultural Heritage, « Vodun, croyances, pratiques sociales et art de vie », preparatory assistance granted to Benin in 2025. See (in French)
[3] U.S. Department of State, 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Benin. See
[4] Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, general information on vodun in Benin, 2013. See
Sources
- UNESCO, « Vodun, croyances, pratiques sociales et art de vie », 2025.
- U.S. Department of State, 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Benin.
- Direct observation and oral transmission, temple of Sakété, 1994–2026
Cite this entry
Wêtê Agbonon, « Everyday vodun », dans Vodun Bénin, l’encyclopédie du vodun béninois, entry no. 036, updated on 2 November 2026. Online: https://vodunbenin.org/en/everyday-vodun/ (accessed on 2 November 2026). Licence CC BY 4.0.
- Last checked : 7 October 2026
- Reuse : free, with attribution, under the licence CC BY 4.0
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