How countries in West Africa celebrate Christmas

With Christmas is just around the corner, we thought we’d take a look at how different countries in West Africa celebrate the holiday. Christianity has been on the continent since the middle of the first century, and approximately 350 million Africans follow the religion. By now people have developed their own unique holiday traditions that…

Voodoo dolls

Voodoo (Vodun) is a derivative of the world’s oldest known religions which have been around in Africa since the beginning of human civilization. The word “voodoo” comes from the West African word “vodun,” meaning spirit. West African voodoo is practiced by about 30 million people, and is most prominant in nations like Ghana, Benin and…

West African Batiks

African batiks were pioneered by the Yoruba peoples of Nigeria and the Wolof of Senegal. Eventually blending with similar mediums from Asia, batiks have become highly cherished across West Africa. Blending traditional and contemporary techniques, designs can portray everything from marital status to political, religious beliefs and cultural stories. Prints range from abstract geometry to…