The population of Mauritius is estimated at around 1,150,000 while 37,000 people live in Rodrigues. The cultural diversity of the inhabitants of the island is unique. The island is populated by people of Indian, Chinese, African and European origins, together with many mixtures. Everywhere, one meets people with delicate features, contagious smiles and warm personalities. As a result Mauritius is unique. It is not just another exotic destination in the sun but a whole nation based on the richness of Asia, Africa and Europe. Mauritians, while preserving their cultural diversities, live, work and play side by side with respect and tolerance for one another, thus realising unity in diversity and providing cosmopolitan model to the world. The signboards of shops are in French, English, Chinese, Creole or Hindi. Even if English is the official language of the island, French remains the most common language after creole, a dialect derived from old French. TV and radio programmes are broadcast in about half a dozen languages. The press, rich in titles, is largely dominated by French.

Religions

In Mauritius, some of the most important ethnic and religious groups live side by side in peace and harmony. The existence of such a cultural diversity and of religious beliefs inevitably brings about a bulky calendar of festivals, which adds a particular fragrance, a variety of colour and a specific enchantment to the Mauritian experience.

Festivals

In Mauritius, festivals are a way to make visible what is transcendental with colour, sound and rituals. Celebrated with pump and pageantry, the festivals surprise by the deeper reality that inspires such fervour and devotion among the celebrants. These festivals are not mere occasions to eat, drink and revel but are the outpouring of religious and cultural fervour. Religions, cultures and civilisations from Europe, Asia and Africa are thus combined to form a harmonious whole.

Cavadee
The year starts with the Cavadee. Cavadee is derived from two tamil words "Cava" meaning to carry and "thadi" meaning of piece of polished wood. Though essentially a religious ceremony to be respected as such, the Cavadee, of Tamil origin, is very spectacular and a real treat for the sensation-seeking tourists. For this striking festivity, penitent participants, after a period of fasting, have their tongues, cheeks, chests and arms pierced through with sharp, fine silver needles before heading towards the temple, carrying buntings across their shoulders. The fire-walking ceremony, where the penitents walk on live charcoal also of South Indian origin, is likewise very impressive. It is advisable to bring your camera.

Chinese Spring Festival
The Chinese New Year's Day is preceded by a complete spring-cleaning of the home. Red, which symbolizes happiness, is the dominant colour. The traditional wax cake is shared with relatives and friends and fire crackers resound to ward off evil spirits. This is the time when the longans or eyes of the dragons are available.

Eid-Ul-Fitr
This festival is celebrated to mark the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. Prayers are offered in mosques during this day. Food is shared with neighbours and friends, without forgetting the most unfortunate members of society.

Maha Shivaratree
Celebrated by all Hindus, the Maha Shivaratree is considered as the great night of Shiva. This festival brings about a pilgrimage held generally in February. Participants mostly dressed in white, wind their way from all parts of the island towards Grand Bassin, a natural lake on the Central Plateau, carrying on their shoulders huge bamboo or wood contraptions decorated with paper streamers and small multi-coloured mirrors.

Holi
Despite the associative nature of the world, this festival is quite outgoing and brawny, where celebrants in joyful mood sing and dance, splashing each other with bucketfuls of coloured water or coloured powder. Holi is celebrated to create unity among all the classes of society.

Father Laval
On September 8th, on the eve of the date of birth of the Blessed Father Jacques Désiré Laval, pilgrims of all ethnic communities from all over the island converge towards the shrine where the holy father is buried at Sainte Croix. Carrying torches and crowding the streets the pilgrims either sing or pray in silence.

Divali
Divali is celebrated by all Indo-Mauritians as the festival of light for it symbolises the victory of light over darkness and of good over evil. Certain beliefs also tend to associate the festival with the victory of Lord Rama over the devil, Rawana, as depicted in the epic poem, Ramayana. For the celebration, Hindus decorate their houses with lamps and garlandry with tiny electric bulbs of all colours. Cakes are also shared with neighbours and parents on this holy day when clothes are worn.

Christmas
This is no longer a celebration for Christians only. All Mauritian children expect gifts from Father Christmas while Christians attend midnight mass. As Christmas falls in December, the whole island seems to celebrate with fire-red flame trees or flamboyant or the yellow golden showers in bloom and the most exotic and lush fruits abound like mangoes of all shapes, litchis, watermelon and pineapples.

Folklore

First there is the sega, of African origin which pulsates to the beat of the ravanne, a circular drum stretched with goat skin. It is danced with a set of partners or in twos. The dance is outgoingly erotic though the supreme art is to tease and not touch the partner, despite the rising of the rhythm and frantic crescendo of the musical beat. Despite being not so long ago as a vulgar dance, it has achieved distinction with the dawn of the tourist era, and won its patent letters as the national folkloric dance very much on show on all social occasions and finding its way even in chic drawing rooms and especially on the dance floors of our hotels. The various cultures are kept alive with the help of centres such as the 'Nelson Mandela Centre' for African culture, the 'Mahatma Gandhi Institute' and the 'Indira Gandhi Centre' for Indian culture, the 'Chinese Cultural Centre' and the 'Islamic Cultural Centre'. Folkloric and classical Indian and Chinese performers add their colourful touches to the sega shows during national festivals.