Sacrifice is central to any voodoo ceremony, playing a core role in every single stage: from the permission request to the main sacrifice and sometimes beyond. Cockerel - and especially large white ones - are among the most prefered sacrificial animals, honoured for their purity and ferocity, sometimes commanding as high a price as a small goat! While most cockerels or chickens will be offered alcohol prior to the actual sacrifice, the white cockerel is presented to the deity pure and untouched.