Culture of Mauritius

Mauritius is a multi-ethnic, multilingual and plural society with a population composed mainly of four major ethnic and religious groups. It is often depicted as a "rainbow nation".

The island of Mauritius did not have any indigenous population and has been characterized by successive waves of European colonization and multiple immigrations. Under French rule between 1715 and 1810, slaves were imported on the island from mainland Africa and Madagascar.

Indian migrants from Pondicherry first arrived on the island in 1736. Later, massive immigration from the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of India took place following the abolition of slavery in 1835 by the British Empire. After an early influx of Chinese migrants into Mauritius, mostly from Fujian, Cantonese and Hakka migrants from Southern China (Guangdong) settled on the island, first as indentured labourers and later as free merchants. Hakka Sino-Mauritians eventually became the dominant group within the community.

The co-existence of Mauritians of Indian, African (known as Mauritian Creoles), European (mostly French), and Chinese ancestry eventually led to a sharing of values and cultures, a collective participation in festivals and an increased understanding between people of different ethnic backgrounds. Mauritians from different cultural backgrounds are very distinct from each other, and it is also highly unpopular to encourage the dissolution of cultural boundaries in Mauritius. Mauritian high culture is French and Indian dominated. The government of Mauritius recognizes 6 groups as religions: Hindus, Roman Catholics, Muslims, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Seventh-day Adventists; other religious groups must register as associations.

A majority of Sino-Mauritians identify as Catholic Christians. Guan Di (Kwan Tee; the god of wealth, also the god of war and the righteous and the benefactor) is an important deity for Sino-Mauritians, especially for those working in the business field.

|Labour Day

|Observed in solidarity with other workers worldwide

|Christmas Day

|25 December

Public holidays with different dates

The festivals listed below are not celebrated on the same date every year. Therefore, only the months when they are likely to be celebrated is given.

{| class="wikitable"

!Name of holiday

!Month of the year based on Gregorian calendar

!Ethnic/religious groups

!Description

|Chinese Spring Festival

|January or February, dependent on the Chinese calendar

|Chinese Festival of Sino-Mauritians and Overseas Chinese living in Mauritius

|The Spring Festival, which is the Chinese New Year, is celebrated in January/February, depending on the adjustment of lunar days. Red, the symbol of happiness, is the dominant colour. 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.

|Thaipoosam Cavadee

|January or February, dependent on the Tamil calendar

|Hindu festival

of Tamil Mauritians

|Cavadee is celebrated in honour of Hindu deity Lord Murugan during January/February, more precisely by the Tamil community in Mauritius. Along with the fire-walking and sword-climbing ceremonies, Cavadee is among the most spectacular Tamil events. 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.

|Maha Shivratree

|Between February and March

|Hindu Festival of mainly Bihari Mauritians and other Hindu communities as well

|Maha Shivaratree is celebrated in honour of Hindu deity Lord Shiva during Falgun month. Hindu devotees, clad in spotless white, carry the "Kanwar" - wooden arches covered with flowers – set foot for the pilgrimage to Ganga Talao, to fetch the Ganga Jal from the lake. The whole scene is reminiscent of the great rituals on the banks of the Holy Ganges in India.

|Ugadi/Gudi Padwa

|March

|Hindu Festival of Telugu community and Marathi community in Mauritius

|Ugadi/Gudi Padwa is the Hindu New Year for Telugus and Marathis respectively.

|Assumption Day

|15 August

|Christian Festival

|During odd years, and Assumption Day in even years. The decision to alternate between the two dates was a government decision to avoid increasing the number of unworked days after Abolition of Slavery (1 February) and Arrival of Indian indentured labourers (2 November) were declared public holidays in the early 2000s.

|Ganesh Chaturthi

|Between August and September

|Hindu Festival of Marathi community in Mauritius

|Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated by the Marathi-speaking community in Mauritius on the 4th day of the lunar month of the Hindu calendar. It marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu deity of wisdom and remover of all obstacles according to Hindu mythology.

|Divali

|Between October and November

|Hindu Festival

|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 were placed in front of every home turning the island into a fairyland of flickering lights; these have now been replaced mostly by decorative electric lights.

|All Saints' Day

|1 November

|Christian Festival

|During odd years, and All Saints' Day in even years. The decision to alternate between the two dates was a government decision to avoid increasing the number of unworked days after Abolition of Slavery (1 February) and Arrival of Indian indentured labourers (2 November) were declared public holidays in the early 2000s.

|Eid Ul-Fitr**

|Any time of year because Islam is based on a lunar calendar

|Muslim Festival

|The exact date of this festival is subject to confirmation as its celebration depends on the visibility of the moon. Eid-Ul-Fitr** is celebrated to mark the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. It is a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing for Muslims. Special prayers are offered at mosques during that morning.

Major events without public holidays

{| class="wikitable"

!Name of Events

!Date/ Month of the year based on Gregorian calendar

!Ethnic/Religious Group

!Description

|Chinese Food and Cultural Festival

|End of April or Early May

|Chinese event

|An annual event which takes place in the Chinatown in Port-Louis; it is organized by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. A festival which celebrates Chinese culture, include Chinese culinary and dance. Foreign performers from China and locals may also perform on that event. Dragon Boat Festival has become a major annual event in Mauritius over the years, with Chinese dance events and Dragon Boat race competition. The annual event typically happens in Caudan Waterfront, Port-Louis.

|Guan Di Birthday; also known as 'Fete Mines' (lit. "Noodle Festival")

|August, exact date depends on the Chinese calendar

|Chinese Festival

|Fete Mines commemorates the birthday of the God Guan Di; tradition includes religious ceremonies, including offerings to Guand Di, Chinese dance performance, and fireworks to ward off evil spirits, and distribution of noodles to guests.

Clothing of Mauritius

Fashion in Mauritius is also influenced by formality-related rules, personal preference, differences between urban and rural lifestyles, and the diverse origins of the Mauritian population, including ethno-religious identity. Mauritians of all backgrounds wear bright colours, especially Mauritian women. Flip-flops (locally known as 'savat'), which are suitable for the Mauritian climate, are worn by all Mauritians regardless of their cultural background.

Beachwear and tight or revealing clothing is acceptable in many resorts but not considered appropriate in towns and villages. Both Western-style clothing and traditional ethnic clothing are worn in Mauritius. As the French language was associated with high culture in Mauritius, the educated and the business class commonly spoke French. It was only in January 2012 that Mauritian Creole was officially introduced in the National Curriculum Framework and became an optional language subject for primary school students.

Most ethnic groups in Mauritius have an ancestral language.

Calèche de Lallmatie

Calèche de Lallmatie (lit. "Chariot of Lallmatie" in English) is a Mauritian legend around the village of Lallmatie which says that two women dressed in white riding two white horses were seen at night, close to midnight. The legend appeared some years prior to the appearance of Touni Mniwi phenomenon. Touni Minwi was supposedly a form of Lougarou,

Landmarks, architecture, and monuments of significance

World Heritage Sites

Aapravasi Ghat

thumb|Old monument at Aapravasi Ghat Museum, Port Louis, Mauritius

The Aapravasi Ghat is found in the bay of Trou Fanfaron in Port Louis; it is the place where indentured Indian labour system started. In 1834, following the emancipation of slaves, the British used Mauritius as their first site to experiment the use of contracted 'free (indentured) labour' from the poorest parts of India to replace the use of slaves. The Aapravasi Ghat is the remnants of an immigration depot built in 1849 to receive the influx of indentured labourers coming from India, Eastern Africa, Madagascar, China and Southeast Asia to start a new life of work on the sugar plantations. The Aapravasi Ghat site is owned by the Ministry of Arts and Culture. The property is protected as National Heritage under the National Heritage Fund Act 2003 and the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund Act 2001. It was listed in the World Heritage List in 2006.

Le Morne Cultural Landscape

Le Morne Brabant is found in the southwest of Mauritius; it used to shelter escaped slaves, called maroons, throughout the 18th to 19th centuries. The Mauritian oral traditions associated with the maroons have made Le Morne a symbol of the slaves’ fight for freedom, their suffering, and their sacrifice. According to the legend, the maroons decided to jump to their death from Le Morne Brabant when they misunderstood the presence of a group of soldiers who were supposed to inform them that they were emancipated following the Slavery Abolition Act passed by the British. Fearing to be recaptured and be returned to their former masters, they decided to commit suicide. A small Chinatown was already forming in Port Louis in the mid-1780s, and in the mid-1840s, Port Louis market was dominated by Chinese traders. The Chinatown was also divided by the Cantonese and the Hakka who showed hostility towards each other. The Cantonese established their own neighbourhood at Royal Road and extended along Arsenal Road to La Rampe Road; they opened shops, restaurants, Kwongs (societies) and religious associations, which include the Chan Cha (founded prior to 1874).

thumb|Chinatown of Mauritius, Port Louis, 2007.

The Chinatown also houses the Heritage Court, which is the headquarters of the Namshun Society (also known as the Nam Shun Fooy Kwoon (南顺会馆)). The founding father of the Namshun society was Affan Tank Wen.

Chinese pagodas

Chinese pagodas throughout Mauritius are important sites for Sino-Mauritians as these are where traditional ceremonies and festivals take place.

Kwan Tee Pagoda, Port Louis

The Kwan Tee Pagoda (or Guan Di Pagoda) is located at Les Salines, Port Louis; it is the oldest pagoda in the Southern Hemisphere and in Mauritius. Its location and construction follow the Chinese principles of spirituality by facing the sea and being against the mountains. Guan Di is an important deity for Sino-Mauritians, especially for people who have businesses.

Music and dance

Music found in Mauritius has the sounds and rhythms of Western, Eastern, and African civilizations which result from the preserved legacy transmitted by the ancestors of the Mauritians to their descendants. Traditional dances and music were introduced by Indian and Chinese migrants to Mauritius.

|National bird

|Mauritius Kestrel

|frameless|177px

|On 17 December 2021, the Cabinet agreed to declare the Mauritius kestrel (an endemic species unique to Mauritius) the national bird of Mauritius on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the accession of Mauritius to the status of republic in March 2022.

|National emblem

and

National motto

|Coat of arms of Mauritius

|177px|Coat of arms of Mauritius

|The national motto "Stella Clavisque Maris Indici" literally means the "Star and Key of the Indian Ocean".

|National flag

|Flag of Mauritius

|174x174px|Flag of Mauritius

|The flag of Mauritius is also known as Four Bands and Les Quatre Bandes. It was adopted on 12 March 1968 upon receiving independence.

Each colour has a specific symbolism:

Red represents the struggle for freedom and independence
Blue represents the Indian Ocean in the middle of which Mauritius is situated
Yellow represents the new light of independence shining over the island
Green represents the agriculture of Mauritius and its colour throughout the year

|National flower

|Trochetia boutoniana (also known as boucle d'oreille

|177px|Trochetia boutoniana flower

|It became the national flower on 12 March 1992, when Mauritius achieved the status of a republic. The second and the fifth editions were hosted by Mauritius in 1985 and 2003 respectively. Mauritius also organised the JIOI in 2019, where the Mauritian athletes dominated the games and won numerous gold medals and the competition.

As in countries like Malaysia, football is hugely popular among males, especially England's Premier League. The most followed clubs are Liverpool F.C., Manchester United and Arsenal F.C. Owing to their recent successes, FC Barcelona have gained significant support.

The national sport, however, remains horse racing, which is part and parcel of the island's cultural heritage. Horse racing in Mauritius dates back to 1812, when the Champ de Mars Racecourse was inaugurated, making it the oldest racecourse in the Southern Hemisphere. Races are widely followed, both in terms of attendance at the Champ de Mars and viewership by television audiences. Mauritians of all ages like to discuss races, share tips and place bets.

At an amateur and recreational level, there is a growing culture of participation in sport, with trail running, cycling, mountain biking and water sports becoming increasingly accessible and popular.

Basketball has also been steadily rising in popularity. The national men’s team competes in FIBA Africa pre-qualifiers but has yet to reach the AfroBasket finals or World Cup. Youth development programs have launched nine “basketball schools” nationwide to teach fundamentals and channel talent to elite centres.

References

External links

Mauritius Society of Authors
Mauritius Restaurants Guide
île en îleLiterature of the Indian Ocean, biographies, bibliographies, excerpts and links.
Islam in Mauritius
Festivals in Mauritius
Local network of churches
Mauritius National Holidays and Festivals
Trianon Conference Centre, Mauritius
Free recipes of Mauritius