9 main festivals in Mauritius
The 9 main festivals and religious events celebrated in Mauritius are Cavadee, Chinese Spring Festival, Christmas, Divali, Eid-ul-Fitr, Ganesh Chathurti, Holi, MahaShivaratree and Père Laval Pilgrimage. These traditional and religious festivals speak volumes of the rich cultural diversity of Mauritius. If you have the chance to attend any of the festivals while being in Mauritius, don’t miss this opportunity to experience it!
Cavadee
Cavadee is celebrated in the month of January/February in devotion to Lord Muruga. Along with the fire-walking and sword-climbing ceremonies, Cavadee is among the most spectacular Tamil events in Mauritius. The body pierced with needles and the tongue and cheeks with skewers, the devotee trance-like and in penance walks in procession to the temple bearing the "Cavadee", a wooden arch covered with flowers with a pot of milk at each end of its base which he or she places before the deity.
Chinese Spring Festival
The Spring Festival, which is the Chinese New Year, is celebrated in January/February, depending on the adjustment of lunar days. Streets and lanes are decorated with vibrant red lanterns and colourful lights representing a symbol of happiness. Traditional foods eaten during the Spring festival are fish as it is believed to bring a surplus of money and good luck, Chinese dumplings as their shape is said to be like that of silver ingots, which were used as money in ancient Chinese, spring rolls, rice cakes and rice balls. Food is piled up to ensure abundance during the year and the traditional wax cake is distributed to relatives and friends. Firecrackers are lit to ward off evil spirits and we have the cultural dragon and Lion dance.
Christmas
Christmas is primarily a Christian celebration which is celebrated in various ways in Mauritius' multi-ethnical society. Considered as a national celebration, Christmas brings families and friends back together for a good and enjoyable meal at home or at the beach. Dishes normally depend on religions, cultures and tastes.
During your stay in the hotels or villas or while visiting the island or shopping malls, you will come across Christmas decorations, Christmas trees from natural pine and spruce trees to artificial ones, animations and shows attracting crowds during the day and late night shopping.
Each street corner is occupied by hawkers selling Christmas cards, toys, balloons, firecrackers, gifts and clothes.
Christmas shopping is done for people for all ages. The gifts are placed under the warmly decorated christmas tree and are opened in the morning on Christmas day as most kids still believe in Father Christmas.
Divali - Public Holiday
Divali is the most jovial of all Hindu festivals. Celebrated in October/November it marks the victory of righteousness over evil in the Hindu mythology. Traditionally, clay oil lamps are placed in front of every home turning the island into a fairyland of flickering lights which nowadays have been replaced mostly by decorative electric lights. On this pious day, the Hindu community prepares a variety of sweets/cakes (gato Patate,laddoo,barfi) to offer to the goddess Luxmi, which is later distributed in the neighborhoods and among friends and family.
Eid-ul-Fitr - Public Holiday
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on the sighting of the moon as there is a variation in the exact date to mark the end of Ramadhan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. It is a day of thanks giving and rejoicing for Muslims. Prayers are offered at mosques during the morning. Other key elements of the Eid celebrations are giving money to the poor known as 'Zakat al-Fitr', sending Eid greetings and feasting Briani with families.
Ganesh Chathurti - Public Holiday
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated sometime in September, on the 4th day of the lunar month of the Hindu calendar by mostly the Marathi community. It marks the birthday of Ganesha, the God of wisdom,prosperity and remover of all obstacles according to Hindu mythology. The festivities start ten days before the final ritual with the installation of the Ganesha statue, usually made out of clay, in the house and the final one is marked by the immersion of the statue in the rivers and sea around the country.
Holi
Holi is the festival of colours. It celebrates the beginning of spring and people of the Hindu faith enjoy themselves by squirting coloured water and powder on one another. It is a time for rejoicing and exchanging greetings.
The festival primarily celebrates the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil, though it also has a religious significance, symbolised by the legend of Holika. It’s said that Holika, who was the evil sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, perished in a fire whilst trying to despatch her own nephew, Prahlada. Now, the traditional burning of bonfires on the eve of Holi itself is known as Holika Dahan, featuring straw-and-bamboo effigies of Holika on top of the pyre.
Maha Shivaratree
Mahashivratree, known as "The Great Night of Shiva" is a hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the Lord Shiva. About one week prior to the day of the festival, devotees dressed in white clothes, carrying their Kanwars set on for pilgrimage from all over the island to 'Grand Bassin' (Ganga Talao) to fetch holy water to offer it to Lord Shiva.
Père Laval Pilgrimage
In September, people of all faiths flock to the shrine of Father Jacques Désiré Laval, a 19th century French missionary, in Sainte Croix, Port Louis. One can almost catch a glimpse of Lourdes in the fervour of the crowd who attributes miraculous healing powers to this holy man and is also recognized by the Vatican.