Events In Mauritius

Mauritius is famed for its multicultural heritage. It is no surprise that the events and festivals in this island nation should celebrate this diversity, and blend in the major attractions of all cultures.

The major Hindu festivals are the Thai Pongal or Mahasankranti, the Thaipoosam Cavadee, Maha Shivaratri and Holi. The Chinese New year is also celebrated amidst bursting of firecrackers in the Chinatown district of Port Blair.

Thai Pongal celebrates the harvest of crops, when cows are served rice puddings since they are considered a symbol of prosperity. Thaipoosam Cavadee is celebrated in honor of Lord Subramanyam, a major deity of the Tamils. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated in the spring when people bathe statues of Lord Shiva in a volcanic lake. Holi is a major Hindu festival where people celebrate the victory of good over evil by throwing color powder on each other. Divali, "The festival of Lights", is another Hindu festival where people light earthern lamps to ward off evil and invite the Goddess of Wealth to visit their homes

The Chinese New Year in Mauritius is celebrated by the people of Chinese descent, and involves cleaning out the home and the surrounding, as a symbol of inner purification. It is the major festival of the Chinese.

A major Islamic festival of Mauritius is the Id-ul-Fitr, celebrated to mark the end of the austere fasting months of Ramadan. It is a major festival of the Muslims of Mauritius.

The Pere Laval's day is celebrated every September, when people pay tributes at the shrine of Father Laval, the French missionary who opposed slavery.