Guide

It is no surprise that Mauritians, who originate from three continents, celebrate festivals that reflect the diversity of their cultures. Most of these festivals are closely associated with religion.

Chinese festivals

The Spring Festival is associated with the Chinese New Year. It falls on a different date every year (January/February) and is a public holiday. This festival is celebrated amidst loud explosions of fireworks. Red, symbol of happiness, is the predominant colour during these celebrations. Foong Pao (red envelopes containing money) are offered to parents and children. Cakes and other traditional sweetmeats like gâteau la cire and chipek are distributed to relatives and friends.

The Dragon Festival or the Lantern Festival brings to an end the celebrations of the Chinese New Year fifteen days after the Spring Festival. The streets of Port-Louis and of the towns in the Plaines Wilhems are animated with fancy-dress processions as well as dragon and lion dances.
The Moon Festival is held in September. It commemorates the victory of the Chinese over the Mongol invaders. Moon-shaped sweetmeats are offered to relatives and friends. Tradition has it that the date of the insurrection was inscribed in those sweetmeats before the rebellion.

Indian festivals

Indian Festivals are always spectacular and are occasions for public celebrations.

The Cavadee festival is celebrated in January/February and is a public holiday. It is amongst the most impressive of Tamil festivals. The bodies of the pilgrims are pierced through with needles and their tongues and cheeks with brooches. They go into a trance while doing penance and proceed along as they carry the Cavadee. This bamboo arch, decorated with flowers and holds a pot of milk at the base, is placed in the temple at the feet of the deity. In spite of the long march and the oppressive heat, the milk does not turn sour.

Firewalking, practised by the Tamils, takes place mainly in December or February. After a 10-day period of purification through abstinence, meditation and prayer, the penitents proceed to the temple and walk over glowing embers with slow steps and then soak their feet in milk to soothe the burning sensation.

The Maha Shivratree is amongst the most popular festivals in the country and is a public holiday. The celebrations spread over five days in February and end with the great night of Shiva. After a night's wake, the pilgrims, spotlessly dressed in white, carry the kanwar, bamboo arches decorated with flowers and mirrors, to Grand Bassin to fetch the holy water from the lake. This scene recalls the great rituals on the banks of the river Ganges.

The Divali is the merriest and the liveliest of all Hindu festivals. This October or November holiday celebrates the victory of the God Rama over the demon king Ravana and symbolises the victory of good over evil. At nightfall, both the poor and the wealthy dwellings sparkle with a thousand lights. Doors and windows are left wide open to let in good luck. Over the years, Divali is celebrated by the rest of the population, each in his or her own way.

Holi is a lively a festival similar the various legends which have inspired it. It is the festival of joy, during which the men and the women sprinkle one another with coloured water and powder. It is the time of celebration and an opportunity to exchange good wishes.

Christian festivals

The Christians celebrate all the festivals of their religious calendar with intense fervour.

Christmas with the Christmas tree and presents, is celebrated by the entire population, regardless of religion. Father Christmas has place of pride in every house and in the shopping centres

Before Pâques, a large number of believers go fasting and take time off on Easter Monday. They go to the beach for the traditional picnic and the séga at the close of the day.

All Saints' day is celebrated by the Christians though it is not a public holiday. They honour their deceased ones on the 2nd November (also a public holiday in memory of the arrival of the first Indian immigrants in Mauritius).

The festival in honour of the blessed Father Laval is a popular festival specific to Mauritius. On the night of the 8th September, Mauritians of all faiths go on pilgrimage to the tomb of Father Laval at Sainte Croix. Cases of miraculous recovery are attributed to this French missionary, who preached the Gospel to the liberated slaves and was called the apostle of the Black. He was beatified by Pope Jean-Paul II on 19th April 1979.

Muslim festivals

Muslim festivals, in most cases, are made up of prayers in common at the mosque and family meals. The majority of Muslims in Mauritius belong to the moderate Sunni. They are very active in the organization of religious activities and are very united.

Id El-Fitr a public holiday, is one of the most popular festivals of the Muslims. It is celebrated with great rejoicing as it marks the end of the Ramadan, a month of fasting. Prayers are said, gifts and good wishes are exchanged, visits are paid to relatives and alms distributed to the poor.

Yaum-Um-Nabi (peace be upon him) commemorates the birth of the Prophet Mohamed . On this occasion, the faithful go to the mosque to listen to the story of his life.

Id-El-Adha commemorates the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham. On this occasion, animals are slaughtered as sacrifice (sheep, goats or oxen) and the meat is divided into three equal shares, one for the poor, the second for the relatives and the third one for the family.

The Ghoon which commemorates the martyrdom of the Imam Hussein, is observed by a small minority of Chiites and a few Sunnites. They go in procession only in the streets of Plaine Verte, a suburb in the East of Port-Louis with a high concentration of Muslims.