An attendee in fetish gear gets a hug at Martin Luther King park during the 25th gay pride parade in Amsterdam, Netherlands August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier 

Attendees in fetish gear embrace at Martin Luther King park during the 25th gay pride parade in Amsterdam, Netherlands August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Fetish show performer May performs at the BarBar fetish bar in Patpong nightlife district in Bangkok, Thailand, May 22, 2020. Picture taken May 22, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Tostevin 

Fetish show performer May performs at the BarBar fetish bar in Patpong nightlife district in Bangkok, Thailand, May 22, 2020. Picture taken May 22, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Tostevin 

Visitors pose at the "German Fetish Ball" fair in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Visitors pose at the "German Fetish Ball" fair in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Models attend a fashion show at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A couple poses at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A model attends a fashion show at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Performers attend a show at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

People attend the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Visitors pose at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A visitor poses at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A model attends a fashion show at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Models attend a fashion show at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Models attend a fashion show at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A tattooed model attends a fashion show at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A performer try a mask at the fair of the "German Fetish Ball" event in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Visitors pose at the "German Fetish Ball" fair in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Visitors pose at the "German Fetish Ball" fair in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A visitor closes the trunk of his car at the "German Fetish Ball" fair in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A model looks at collars at the "German Fetish Ball" fair in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A visitor poses at the "German Fetish Ball" fair in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Visitors pose at the "German Fetish Ball" fair in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A couple takes a selfie at the "German Fetish Ball" in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Visitors at the "German Fetish Ball" fair try on a mask, in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

A neon sign that reads 'Fetish' forms part of an artwork exhibited in God's Own Junkyard gallery and cafe in London, Britain, May 13, 2017. Picture taken May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Russell Boyce 

People watch as traditional drummers perform at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with powder and palm oil. Some find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. ATTENTION EDITORS A PICTURE AND ITS STORY “VOODOO FESTIVAL OF BENIN" FOR MORE IMAGES SEARCH “AKINTUNDE VOODOO". REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Voodoo priests walk through the Kpasse shrine as they celebrate the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with powder and palm oil. Some find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. ATTENTION EDITORS A PICTURE AND ITS STORY “VOODOO FESTIVAL OF BENIN" FOR MORE IMAGES SEARCH “AKINTUNDE VOODOO". REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A statue is seen at the Kpasse shrine as voodoo devotees celebrate annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with powder and palm oil. Some find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. ATTENTION EDITORS A PICTURE AND ITS STORY “VOODOO FESTIVAL OF BENIN" FOR MORE IMAGES SEARCH “AKINTUNDE VOODOO". REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A voodoo shrine is seen along a street during the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with powder and palm oil. Some find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. ATTENTION EDITORS A PICTURE AND ITS STORY “VOODOO FESTIVAL OF BENIN" FOR MORE IMAGES SEARCH “AKINTUNDE VOODOO". REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Devotees are seen at the entrance of a shrine in Kpasse forest as they celebrate the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with powder and palm oil. Some find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. ATTENTION EDITORS A PICTURE AND ITS STORY “VOODOO FESTIVAL OF BENIN" FOR MORE IMAGES SEARCH “AKINTUNDE VOODOO". REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A statue is seen at the Kpasse shrine as voodoo devotess celebrate the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with powder and palm oil. Some find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. ATTENTION EDITORS A PICTURE AND ITS STORY “VOODOO FESTIVAL OF BENIN" FOR MORE IMAGES SEARCH “AKINTUNDE VOODOO". REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A masquerade dancer is seen during the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee holds up a ram before killing it as a sacrifice in front of a shrine at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee is guided by voodoo priests as she goes into a trance at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Devotees kill a goat as a sacrifice at a shrine during the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee holds a voodoo doll during a traditional street procession to a shrine at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A mask of a masquerade dancer is seen during the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Locally made brooms are displayed for sale by the side of a building in Ouidah, Benin January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A carved door is seen at the entrance of a building in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A knife is seen beside a bowl containing blood after a ram was killed as a sacrifice in front of a shrine at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee holds down a ram with his foot after killing it as a sacrifice in front of a shrine at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee dances during the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee attends the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A voodoo priest attends the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Devotees perform at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee attends the annual voodo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A voodoo priest attends the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

The Westgate shopping mall is seen near the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards." REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT FOOTBALL) 

The University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, is seen next to a canal in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards." REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT FOOTBALL) 

The University of Phoenix Stadium, where Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, and the Westgate shopping mall are seen next to farm fields in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards."REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT FOOTBALL AGRICULTURE) 

The University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, and the Westgate shopping mall are seen behind an unfinished housing subdivision in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards." REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT FOOTBALL REAL ESTATE) 

The University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, and the Westgate shopping mall are seen behind an unfinished housing subdivision in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards."REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT CONSTRUCTION REAL ESTATE FOOTBALL) 

The University of Phoenix Stadium, where Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, and the Westgate shopping mall are seen next to farm fields in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards." REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT FOOTBALL AGRICULTURE) 

The University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, and the Westgate shopping mall are seen behind an unfinished housing subdivision in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards." REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT REAL ESTATE FOOTBALL CONSTRUCTION) 

The University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, and the Westgate shopping mall are seen next to farm fields in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards." REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT FOOTBALL AGRICULTURE) 

A sign for the Westgate shopping mall is seen near the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Super Bowl XLIX will be held on Sunday, in Glendale, Arizona January 29, 2015. Over the last decade or so, this city of 230,000 on Phoenix's northwest border, has reinvented itself from farm town to sports Mecca. There's the dome stadium where the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals play, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes arena, and the new baseball facility where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox appear every spring for their pre-season training. But Glendale's love of sports has come at a cost: red ink and jobs lost. All told, said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, the town's sports fetish has produced "a house of cards." REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT FOOTBALL)