To followers of the Vodoun religion, today is the first day of the fet ghede, or feast of the ancestors, which marks the traditional beginning of the new year. The Ghede Loas and the ancestors are honored, debts and obligations are paid marks the New Year. In areas where Vodoun is practiced, Lavish feasts are held for the ghedes, and the day is spent visiting the graveyard to visit with the departed, and the loas and ancestors mingle freely with the living.