Togo has three main religions; Christianity, Islam and Voodoo. My village is Christian, mostly Catholic, with Fulani Muslim communities sprinkled on the outskirts. For the past month, Muslim communities have practiced Ramadan and Christian communities have participated in Lent, and most recently Easter.
For Easter there are a lot of "parades" to celebrate the voyage of Jesus to Jerusalem and the many events leading up to his Crucifixion. On Palm Sunday there is a procession through the village to celebarte Jesus's arrival to Jerusalem, on Thursday we celebrate the Last Supper by eating local food. Then, on Easter Sunday there is a final parade at three in the morning! This parade celebrates his Ressurection.
Meanwhile, our Fulani Muslim neighbors were participating in Ramadan, eating before the sunrises and then not eating again until the sun sets. Our Fulani neighbors don't sell food during this time to reflect their fast.
My community is very Catholic due to colonization. Many parts of Southern Togo are Catholic or more broadly Christian communities; however, it is heavily influenced by local religions. Voodoo is an animistic religion where people believe in the power and spirtuality of the nature and energies around them.
