In Haiti, citizens are known for their spiritual fervor. Those who don't really have a deep understanding of their religion would call it a deal with the Devil. People who don't have a deep understanding of their religion use it against them. They use it as a way to explain why the earthquake that hit the island in 2009, as a reason why the incident happened. “God’s punishment” for their “bad practices”. But people haven't researched or really understand the religion and its practices to make such statements. Voodoo, or Voudou, can be defined as different spiritual beliefs and practices extracted by African slaves during the 1800s. Voodoo very often takes the form of animism and syncretism. Animism is the belief that everything in nature has a soul or spirit, while syncretism is a mixture of animism with other religions such as Christianity. And there is a story behind the religion. One night in 1791, at a place called Bois Caïman, a group of slaves met and swore to oust their slave masters and were led by a voodoo priest. The story goes that someone sacrificed a pig and the group drank the pig's blood, then a week later the rebellion began. During the ceremony, the island's most important leaders made a pact with Satan and dedicated the land to him for 200 years in exchange for victory. During the French Revolution and then after the French defeat, the island's founding fathers created different versions of their constitution and did not include any language about Satan or Voodoo. In 1807, Haiti established religious freedom, but made Roman Catholicism its official religion. The constitution states that, including Voodoo, no other religion may be practiced in public. In Haiti, there are...... middle of paper ......, encouraging marriages and baptisms and performing them free of charge. And that religion opposed voodoo, leading some Haitians to convert to Protestantism in order to reject family spirits who they believed did not protect them. Regardless of religion, Roman Catholic, Protestant or Voodoo, the people of Haiti are steadfast. their respective faith. Their faith sustains hope and, in some cases, protects their families. Religion is crucial among these people who live daily in the worst conditions. Their faith keeps them on earth, in the hope of better days. Works Cited Diamond, Stephen A. “Haitians Still in Hell: Evil, Voodoo and Spirituality” January 20, 2010 http://www.aidforhaiti.org/learn-more/about-haiti/religion-in-haiti Maldonado , Michelle Gonzalez “Biblical disaster: understanding religion in Haiti” January 13, 2010