While Mauritius is often celebrated for its turquoise lagoons and lush landscapes, the rich culture here is equally remarkable, enriched by centuries of migration and interracial coexistence. From Tamil Hindus and Sino-Mauritians to Muslim, Christian, and Creole communities, each community contributes its cultural imprint to the island’s huge calendar of festivals. These cultural celebrations are not just public holidays but rather an experience for the senses that involves a great deal of spirituality, music, dancing, food, and socialising with the entire community.
Thaipoosam Cavadee is held in January or February, depending on the Tamil calendar. The festival finds its roots in the Tamil Hindu tradition, when the Hindus honour their god, Lord Muruga, who is the god of war and victory. Pilgrims undergo strict fasting and prayer. They then go on to a sacred walk to the temple while carrying colorfully decorated wooden structures named cavadees, often with haunches of milk or donations on top. One of the factors making this festival very intense is the matter of body piercing, where people pierce their tongues, cheeks, and bodies with small spears or hooks as acts of penance or devotion.
Marking the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, Diwali is the festival of lights and is celebrated in Mauritius in October or November by the Hindu community. Such enlightenment stems from Rama’s comeback to the place of his birth after defeating Ravana. The houses in Mauritius are brightly illuminated by the use of the traditional oil lamps (diyas), fairy lights, rangolis (colourful floor art), and flowers. Furthermore, Indian families in Mauritius prepare and distribute sweets such as ladoos, barfis, and gulab jamun, while young children ignite fireworks and sparklers to celebrate the festival.
Holi happens in March and is a Hindu festival of colours. It marks the triumph of good over evil and often ends up being an excellent cultural event, which one can add to their Mauritius tour package. People gather in open areas and temple grounds to throw and smear vibrant colours on each other. They toss water balloons, play Bollywood music, dance, and enjoy snacks. On the night before, temples hold prayers and rituals. These often involve burning an effigy of Holika, meant to get rid of bad feelings. The main day spreads the excitement everywhere in towns like Flacq, Triolet, and Goodlands, where locals and tourists come together to celebrate.
Muslims in Mauritius celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, also called the Festival of Breaking the Fast, once Ramadan ends. Based on the lunar Islamic calendar, this holy month of fasting, praying, and reflecting ends in April or May. The day starts with community prayers at mosques or outdoor spaces. Men wear fresh kurtas, and women dress up in stylish clothes with henna on their hands. People clean and decorate their homes to welcome the celebration. Families enjoy traditional foods such as biryani, sweet vermicelli (seviyan), samosas, and pastries.
Ganesh Chaturthi happens in August or September and honours the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god known for his wisdom and prosperity. In Mauritius, they celebrate by placing clay idols of Ganesha in homes or pandals. They conduct daily prayers and sing devotional songs called bhajans. The most significant event comes on the last day, when thousands of people join in large processions to carry the idols to rivers, lakes, or the sea. It ends with visarjan, a ritual immersion symbolising Ganesha’s journey back to his celestial abode.
The month of Muharram usually falls in July or August, and it is during this time that the Ghoon Festival takes place. It is one of the earliest Islamic traditions in Mauritius. The solemnity commemorates Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in battle at Karbala. Shiite Muslims commemorate the day with street processions in which people shoulder “tadjahs,” large structures that resemble mausoleums. The act symbolises mourning. Many don black hymns like chants of sadness and pound a beat on drums as they walk.
People in Mauritius celebrate Christmas every year on December 25, blending the warmth of the tropics with Christian traditions. It is a huge day in my small town, for catholics and Christians on the island, but the entire town comes together to share in the happiness and festive spirit. Midnight masses are held in churches on Christmas Eve. Bright decorations light up the streets, and shops remain open later so that people can do their holiday shopping. Families decorate their homes with Christmas trees, exchange gifts, and have a special meal. The food is often tinged with tropical notes — grilled seafood, Creole dishes, rum cake, etc.
Falling 15 days after Chinese New Year, typically in February or early March, the Lantern Festival is a graceful and enchanting celebration marking the end of the Chinese New Year festivities. In Mauritius, this celebration is significant in Chinatown, Port Louis, as families come together in the evening to light bright lanterns indicative of light and luck. Wishes or riddles are written on lanterns by children and then carried or floated into the sky. The streets are bedecked with glowing red lanterns, dragon dances, and Chinese instruments being blown heartily.
Celebrated in late January or February, Chinese New Year is one of the most important cultural events for the Sino-Mauritian community, and it’s widely observed across the country. New Year’s Eve is celebrated with a sumptuous family reunion dinner, with symbolic dishes such as fish, dumplings, and spring rolls. The following day, celebrations in Chinatown in Port Louis include dragon and lion dances, parades, cultural shows, and street food stands. Children receive envelopes full of money (hongbao), and red is the colour of decor to signify good fortune and happiness.
Maha Shivaratri, typically celebrated in February or March, is the most spiritually intense Hindu festival in Mauritius. A day dedicated to Lord Shiva and marked with a heavy pilgrimage to Grand Bassin – a holy lake as sacred as the river Ganges. For days before the festival, thousands of devotees, barefoot, walk to the festival from towns and villages all over the island of Mauritius, carrying their sometimes elaborately built kanwars (constructed from bamboo and adorned with flowers and pictures of Shiva). On the night of Maha Shivaratri, devotees remain in temples, referring to themselves as disciples of Shiva, and repeat the phrase Om Namah Shivaya.
No matter the time of year, Mauritius is alive with the rhythm of celebration, each festival offering a unique lens into the island’s cultural soul. The vibrancy of Diwali, the raucousness of Holi, the spookiness of Halloween, and the reverence of Maha Shivaratri are among those that allow communities to celebrate diversity. So, whether you aim for spiritual awakening, cultural assimilation, or just pure fun, these are flagship festivals around which you can schedule your trip and embark on an unforgettable and enriching stay in Mauritius.