Halloween isn’t really celebrated in Benin, but it’s one of Phoebe’s favorite holidays; so, we decided to fête.  As you can see from her photos on the Whipping Fete page, we found some papayas and carved Jack o’Lanterns.

The kids next door loved it.  François even disappeared for a little while and came back with his own!  The families seemed to think it was pretty funny, and we got a great opportunity to explain a little piece of American culture, la Veille de Toussaint, “All Saints’ Eve.”

I realized only the next day that, though the younger kids had fun, the older boy didn’t get it.  And, then I understood why: Benin has no national cultural holidays.

Yes, each people has its own culture and celebrates its holidays.  There are religious holidays, too.  And, the government officially sanctioned Voodoo and gave it a “cultural” holiday on the 10th of January.  But, there’s nothing like we have in the US.

Back home, nearly everyone celebrates Thanksgiving and Halloween.  We also have a ton of secular holidays in addition to our Independence Day.  But here?  Nada.

Despite our political differences, religious diversity, and diversity in so many other ways, Americans are still one people.  If only united by our common holidays.