Easter by Ahémé
Easter is one of four major Beninese holidays, the others being Christmas, New Year’s, and the Fête de Vodoun, and celebrations at my site live up to hyped expectations. Easter morning began as one would expect with the sun glistening and no one at work. It was especially quiet for a Sunday morning because most church congregations gathered and left at sunrise for the other side of the lake. My contacts at the Evangelical and Reveil des Nations churches brought this to my attention, and without a Peace Corps issued lifejacket I was fated to stay put. That left me with only one other church in my immediate surroundings, to which I went at 9 AM not knowing if they too had crossed the waters. It turned out that the Adjidjatomé Catholic Church made no travel plans and would eventually be packed to the brim with the Easter faithful. While the lakeside environment is certainly modest, the Mass itself remained just as detailed as any Sunday worship in the United States. I’ve attended s