Although the Gelede ceremony may be staged at any time of the year (to better the lot of an individual, to cleanse the society of pestilence, to induce rain, to enrich human fertility, to enlist the support of supernatural forces and the "powerful mothers" in wartime, and to honor the dead), the most elaborate performance occurs during the annual festival. Sponsorship plays a big role in the size and elaborateness of these performances. The larger the performance the more likely to be sponsored by the community instead of an individual or family, which tends to be smaller. The annual Gelede festival is usually sponsored by the community so it tends to be larger.