Haitians honor Bois Caïman with music, cultural heritage exhibition on new national holiday

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Under red, green, blue and pink Vodou handkerchiefs and the soft glow of a traditional lamp called “lanp tèt gridap,” Haitians gathered in Pétion-Ville on Aug. 14 to honor the 234th anniversary of the Bois Caïman ceremony and to celebrate the historic date recently declared a national holiday for the first time.

The event, organized by the sociocultural organization Ann Reviv Ayiti Lontan (ARAL)—Creole for “reliving yesterday’s Haiti”—was held at Quartier Latin Restaurant and Brewery. It featured live music, dance, and an exhibition of traditional Haitian objects to commemorate the Vodou ceremony that ignited Haiti’s fight for independence in 1791.

“We chose Aug. 14 to revive the traditions of the past and remind the world that we are Haiti, the first free Black nation,” said ARAL coordinator Véronique Olivier. “Our historical roots trace back to this date, which gave birth to Jan. 1, 1804.”

Despite the country’s growing gang-related insecurity, Haitians decided to celebrate this meaningful date—honoring their ancestors’ memory and a key milestone in their march toward freedom.

The date also marks the first anniversary of ARAL, which was established on Aug. 14 last year.

“It’s a date often overlooked, since Aug. 15 [date honoring Catholic Church saint Notre-Dame] is more widely celebrated. That’s why we must remember it—it truly belongs to us,” Olivier told The Haitian Times.

One of the “lanp tèt gridap” from Haitian peasant tradition, placed beside a Barbancourt rhum bottle with a plant sprouting from its mouth, was part of the stage décor for the ARAL concert at Quartier Latin in Pétion-Ville, on Aug. 14, 2025. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise/The Haitian Times.

A first in Haiti’s official calendar with heritage on display

A Dec. 11, 2024, presidential decree recognized Aug. 14 as a public holiday, closing schools, offices and businesses nationwide. It marked the first official state recognition of the Bois Caïman ceremony, long celebrated in Haitian history as a symbol of unity and resistance.

“For the first time in the country’s history, we will officially celebrate Bois Caïman,” said Fritz Alphonse Jean, then head of the Presidential Transitional Council (CEP), on Aug. 7, when announcing the decision to enforce the decree declaring the occasion a national holiday. 

“We chose August 14 to revive the traditions of the past and remind the world that we are Haiti, the first free Black nation.”

Véronique Olivier, ARAL coordinator

“Our duty as heirs of these great legacies is to maintain, preserve, and cherish them,” Jean added.

Before the concert began, guests explored ARAL’s exhibition of heritage objects: calabash bowls (kwi), enamel coffee pots, pestles (pilon),  charcoal irons and the childhood game (kay). Each item evoked rural life and the resilience of generations past.

“With ‘Ayiti Lontan,’ [Yesterday’s Haiti], we bring back traditional objects and games to show future generations why they matter,” Olivier said.

The exhibition of kwi, lamp, “kay” game, charcoal iron, enamel cups and pestle by ARAL highlights Haitian traditions and commemorates the 234th anniversary of the Bois Caïman ceremony in Pétion-Ville on Aug. 14, 2025. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise/The Haitian Times.

The stage décor included a lanp tèt gridap alongside firewood, scarves in Haiti’s colors and a jug wrapped in blue and red — symbols of both domestic life and national pride.

A night of music and memory

By 7 p.m., the venue was packed. Drums, guitars, keyboards and voices filled the air as artists performed Vodou chants, slam poetry, reggae and acoustic pieces. The lineup featured Ralph Valéry Joé “Reeval” Alfred, Shoono “Slamarre” Lamarre, Duckyns “Zikiki” St-Eloi of Yizra’el, Joël “Joël Akoustik” Pierrevil, and Maudeline “Fameuse Maude” Dérival.

To start, a DJ set the tone, and spots of red light bathed both the performers and the audience, energizing everyone. Dancers and singers, many from the Vodou community, performed songs rooted in Haitian Vodou culture, along with pieces reflecting modern life.

To the rhythm of drums, electric guitar, keyboards and cymbals, the crowd followed the chants led by singers, tambourine players, and Vodou practitioners. Together, they brought the Bois Caïman ceremony to life, honoring priest Dutty Boukman and glorifying the loas for protection and answering prayers of the enslaved dreaming of freedom.

That night, a pledge of freedom was made, accompanied by Vodou rituals. Soon afterward, plantations were set on fire, sparking the first major insurrection that ultimately led to the enslaved declaring their independence on Nov. 29, 1803. 

Singer Zikiki energized the crowd with Vodou songs, while Fameuse Maude’s soulful “Vanité” reminded listeners that without love, nothing matters. Between sets, performers evoked the original 1791 gathering led by Dutty Boukman and Cécile Fatiman, when enslaved Haitians pledged to fight for freedom — a revolt that ultimately led to independence in 1804.

The evening became a communion of history and art, uniting past and present.

“We are confident people enjoyed the event and will continue supporting ARAL’s mission,” Olivier said. “Events like this show we are capable of living together and honoring our heritage.”

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