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HIGH SPIRITS

Voodoo devotees eat GLASS and sacrifice goats during bizarre celebrations held to mark Haiti’s day of the dead

Spiritual believers gather to remember lost relatives and to ask spirits for guidance during colourful ceremony

HUNDREDS of face-painted revellers weave through the bustling streets of Haiti for the annual voodoo Day of the Dead festival.

Devotees can be seen eating glass, carrying dead goats, and drinking from bottles of rum infused with fiery peppers at the spiritual bash.

The Haitians head to a sprawling cemetery in the country's capital of Port-au-Prince, where voodoo priests and priestesses gather around what is thought to be the nation's oldest grave.

They then light candles and start small fires to recall the spirit of Baron Samedi the guardian of the dead.

The Day of the Dead festival takes place on November 1 and November 2, when voodoo followers remember relatives who have passed away and asks spirits to grant them favours or offer them advice.

Vendors set up in the cemetery and sell things such as rum, candles and rosary beads.

Voodoo has been a recognised religion since 2003 and is practised widely across Haiti.

It has developed since West African slaves were brought to the island in the 17th century and were forced to practice Catholicism.

The slaves adopted saints to coincide with personalities in African religions.

 Spiritual revellers wear white face paint and drink spicy rum during the two day festival
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Spiritual revellers wear white face paint and drink spicy rum during the two day festivalCredit: Reuters
 A voodoo follower carries a dead goat during a ceremony as believers making sacrifices and offerings to spirits
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A voodoo follower carries a dead goat during a ceremony as believers making sacrifices and offerings to spiritsCredit: Reuters
 Devotees have been known to eat glass at the ceremony to entertain other revellers
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Devotees have been known to eat glass at the ceremony to entertain other revellersCredit: Getty Images
 One spiritual follower appears to be chewing on a chunk of wood during the festivities
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One spiritual follower appears to be chewing on a chunk of wood during the festivitiesCredit: Getty Images
 Followers meet in a sprawling cemetery in the capital of Port-au-Prince to remember the dead
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Followers meet in a sprawling cemetery in the capital of Port-au-Prince to remember the deadCredit: Getty Images
 A man dressed as a "Gede", or spirit of voodoo, greets people as they enter the cemetery
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A man dressed as a "Gede", or spirit of voodoo, greets people as they enter the cemeteryCredit: Reuters
 A voodoo believer laughs as she dances during a ceremony at the Peristil a voodoo temple in Haiti
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A voodoo believer laughs as she dances during a ceremony at the Peristil a voodoo temple in HaitiCredit: Reuters
 Voodoo believers stand around, and on, the cross of Baron Samedi during celebrations
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Voodoo believers stand around, and on, the cross of Baron Samedi during celebrationsCredit: Reuters
 A voodoo believer dressed as "Gede smokes a pipe near one of the many fires in the cemetery
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A voodoo believer dressed as "Gede smokes a pipe near one of the many fires in the cemeteryCredit: Reuters
 A voodoo believer is perched on the cross of Baron Samedi in Port-au-Prince
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A voodoo believer is perched on the cross of Baron Samedi in Port-au-PrinceCredit: Reuters
 Spiritual believers dance during the two days of celebrations in the Haitian capital
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Spiritual believers dance during the two days of celebrations in the Haitian capitalCredit: Reuters
 A spiritual believer is dressed in clothes similar those it is believed Baron Samedi wears
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A spiritual believer is dressed in clothes similar those it is believed Baron Samedi wearsCredit: Reuters
 A reveller can be seen swigging rum as the celebrations carry on through the day
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A reveller can be seen swigging rum as the celebrations carry on through the dayCredit: Getty Images
 The alcoholic drinks appears to have one of the voodoo believers in high spirits
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The alcoholic drinks appears to have one of the voodoo believers in high spiritsCredit: Getty Images


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