All Souls’ Day in Haiti
In Haiti, All Souls’ Day falls on November 2 and is known in the Labour Code as the Day of the Dead. The law lists it as an unworked public holiday beginning at noon, while Vodou’s annual Gede observances connect the date with death and the dead.[1][2]
A statutory holiday from noon
Haiti’s Labour Code lists November 2 as “la fête des morts” among unworked public holidays, with the holiday beginning at noon. It also says workers are entitled to unworked public holidays without a reduction in pay, subject to the code’s stated exception for temporary work.[1]
The holiday remains on November 2, including when the date falls on a weekend.[1]
All Souls’ Day and the Gede
All Souls’ Day is a Christian observance for the dead. In Haiti, the date also coincides with the annual Gede festival in Haitian Vodou. A Duke University project describes the Gede as spirits associated with death and life, and says their festival takes place around the Christian observance of All Souls’ Day.[2]
The Gede observance gives the date a distinct religious meaning for Vodou practitioners: it is an occasion to engage with ideas of death and life. Practices and beliefs vary; All Souls’ Day should not be taken to mean that every Haitian observes Fèt Gede.[2]
Observances
The Gede are associated with black and purple, which are emblematic colors of the spirits.[2]
The Labour Code separately lists November 1 as All Saints’ Day, an unworked public holiday.[1]
Closures and planning
The legal rest period begins at noon, but a Haitian government notice from 2017 announced that administrative offices, schools, commerce and industry would close for both November 1 and 2 that year. That notice is evidence of a specific closure announcement, not a guarantee of identical hours every year.[1][3]
Check with a particular office or business before travelling there, and allow extra time if visiting a cemetery during local observances.[2][3]
Frequently asked questions
When is All Souls’ Day in Haiti?
It is observed on November 2 each year. The Labour Code calls it the Day of the Dead and lists the unworked holiday from noon.[1]
Is it a day off?
The Labour Code lists November 2 as an unworked public holiday from noon and provides workers with holiday rest without a pay reduction, subject to the code’s exception for temporary work.[1]
What is Fèt Gede?
Fèt Gede is the annual Haitian Vodou festival of the Gede spirits, associated with death and life and held around All Souls’ Day. It is a Vodou observance, not a description of how every Haitian marks the date.[2]
Are offices, banks and shops closed?
The government announced closures of administrative offices, schools, commerce and industry for November 1 and 2 in 2017. Check with banks and individual businesses for their hours.[3]
Sources and references
Sources used for All Souls' Day in Haiti:
- Code du travail (tel que modifié en 2003)- International Labour Organization, NATLEX
- Penis Candles for the Vodou Gods Known as Gede- The Sacred Arts of the Black Atlantic Project, Duke University
- Congé à l’occasion de la fête des Morts et de la Toussaint- Gouvernement de la République d’Haïti