Culture of Mauritius 541344 221664079 2008-06-25T14:55:39Z Hjogoo 7372119 /* Mauritian cuisine */ The '''culture of Mauritius''' involves the blending of several cultures from Mauritius's history, as well as individual culture arising indigenously. == Mauritian public holidays and festivals == The number and diversity of public holidays and festivals indicate the rich heritage of the island's people and its ethnic diversity. '''Public Holidays on fixed dates:''' *[[New Year]] – ''1 and 2 January'' *Abolition of [[Slavery]] – ''1 February'' *National day (Independence Day) – ''12 March'' *Labour Day - ''1 May'' *Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – ''15 August'' *Arrival of indentured Labourers – ''2 November'' *[[Christmas]] – ''25 December'' '''Public Holidays with varying dates:''' ''The festivals listed below are not celebrated at the same date every year. Therefore only the months when they are likely to be celebrated is given.'' *[[Chinese New Year|Chinese Spring Festival]] ''(Between January and February)'' The Spring Festival, which is the Chinese New Year, is celebrated in January/February, depending on the adjustment of lunar days. Red, 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. *[[Thaipusam|Thaipoosam Cavadee]] ''(February)'' Cavadee is celebrated in January/February. 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 Shivaratri|Maha Shivratree]] ''(Between February and March)'' Maha Shivaratree is celebrated in honour of Hindu God, Siva (February). Hindu devotees, clad in spotless white, carry the "kanwar" - wooden arches covered with flowers – on pilgrimage to Grand Bassin, to fetch holy water from the lake. The whole scene is reminiscent of the great rituals on the banks of the Holy Ganges in India. *[[Ugadi]] ''(March)'' Ugadi is the Telegu New Year. *[[Ganesh Chaturthi]] ''(Between August and September)'' Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the 4th day of the lunar month of the Hindu calendar. It marks the birthday of [[Ganesha]], the God of wisdom and remover of all obstacles according to Hindu mythology. *[[Diwali|Divali]] ''(Between October and November)'' 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. *[[Eid ul-Fitr|Eid-Ul-Fitr]] ''(Between October and November. 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 Ramadhan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. It is a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing for Muslims. Prayers are offered at mosques during the morning. == Mauritian cuisine == The [[cuisine]] of Mauritius is a blend of [[Creole cuisine|Creole]], [[Chinese cuisine|Chinese]], [[European cuisine|European]] and [[Indian cuisine|Indian]] influences. It is common for a combination of cuisines to form part of the same meal. Mauritius has had strong ties with French culture throughout its history and was left with a very French "savoir vivre". The popularity of French dishes like the daube, civet de lièvre or coq au vin served with good wine show the prevalence of French culture in Mauritius even today. As years passed by, some have been adapted to the more exotic ingredients of the island to confer some unique flavor. During the nineteenth century, after the abolition of slavery, Indian workers who migrated to Mauritius brought their cuisine with them. Those indentured labourers came from different parts of India, each with their own culinary tradition, depending on the region. The end of the 19th century saw the arrival of Chinese migrants, who came mostly from the south-eastern part of China. Along the years, each community has adapted and mixed each other's cuisine to their liking. The production of [[rum]] is common throughout the island.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} Sugarcane was first introduced on the island when the Dutch colonised it in 1638. Even then, the propensity of making rum out of sugarcane was strongly recognised. Sugarcane was mainly cultivated for the production of "[[arrack]]", a precursor to rum. Only much later, after almost 60 years, the first proper sugar was produced.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} However, it was during the French and English administration that sugar production was fully exploited, which considerably contributed to the economical development of the island.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} It was Pierre Charles François Harel who in [[1850]] initially proposed the concept of local distillation of rum in Mauritius. In part due to his efforts, Mauritius today houses three distilleries (Grays, Medine and St Aubin) and is in the process of opening an additional three.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} Free Mauritius Recipes at http://mauritiuscuisine.com ==Literature == While Kreol Morisyen ([[Mauritian Creole]]) is the most spoken language on in Mauritius, most of the literature is written in [[French language|French]], although many authors write in [[English language|English]], [[Bhojpuri]], and Morisyen ([[Mauritian Creole]]), and others such as [[Abhimanyu Unnuth]] in [[Hindi]]. Mauritius's renowned playwright [[Dev Virahsawmy]] writes exclusively in Morisyen. Important authors include [[Malcolm de Chazal]], [[Ananda Devi]], Raymond Chasle, [[Loys Masson]], [[Marcel Cabon]], and [[Edouard Maunick]].{{Fact|date=May 2007}} [[Lindsey Collen]] has been able to carve out a meeting of imaginaries in the unique social setup of this multi-faceted country. Other younger writers like Shenaz Patel, [[Amal Sewtohul]], Natacha Appanah, Alain Gordon-Gentil and Carl de Souza explore the issues of ethnicity, superstition and politics in the novel. Poet and critic [[Khal Torabully]] has put forward the concept of "coolitude," a poetics that results from the blend of Indian and Mauritian cultural diversity. Other poets include Hassam Wachill, Edouard Maunick, Sedley Assone, Yusuf Kadel and Umar Timol. The island plays host to the covetable Le Prince Maurice Prize, a literary award celebrating and recognizing 'writers of the heart'. The award is designed to highlight the literary love story in all its forms rather than for pure Romantic Fiction. In keeping with the island's literary culture the prize alternates on a yearly basis between English-speaking and French-speaking writers. ==Sport== [[Image:Horse racing in Mauritius.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Maiden 2006 Parade. Horse racing is one of the most popular sports on the island.]] Due to lack of funding, Mauritius' national sports teams have been very unsuccessful at a competitive level. However recently, [[rugby union]] has rapidly increased in popularity in the small island nation. [[Football (soccer)|Football]] too is popular. Both national teams have very lowly world rankings for their particular sports.{{fact|date=June 2008}} == See also == * [[Music of Mauritius]] == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == *[http://www.masa.mu Mauritius Society of Authors] *[http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/ile.en.ile/indien/paroles.html île en île - Literature of the Indian Ocean], biographies, bibliographies, excerpts and links. *[http://www.mauritianmuslim.co.uk/Islam%20in%20mauritius.shtml Islam in Mauritius] *[http://www.island-of-mauritius.com/mauritius_festivals.htm Festivals in Mauritius] * {{wikitravel}} <!--===========================({{NoMoreLinks}})===============================--> <!--| DO NOT ADD MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A COLLECTION OF |--> <!--| LINKS. 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