Public holidays in Mauritius
Public holidays in Mauritius are more often than not, religious holidays that reflect the diversity and the multi-religious composition of the island. In the spirit of fairness, the government has introduced public holidays according to the different origins and religions.
The Mauritian calendar displays 13 public holidays in the year, six of which are fixed dates:
New Year: 1st and 2nd of January
Independence Day: 12th of March
Labour Day: 1st of may
All Saints Day: Catholic Celebration on the 1st of November
Christmas: 25th of December
The other public holidays (seven) are linked to religious festivals and traditions, and their dates change every year according to the lunar calendar:
Thaipoosam Cavadee: The Tamil festival, usually around mid-January or beginning of February.
Maha Shivaratree: A Hindu festival celebrated around February or March.
Spring Festival: The Chinese New Year is usually celebrated in January or February
Ougadi: The Telegu New Year, celebrated in March.
Eid-Ul-Fitr: A Muslim celebration, at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Ganesh Chaturthi: A Hindu celebration between August and September.
Divali ou Deepavali: The Festival of Light is a Hindu festival, celebrated around October or November, which symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
There are also a few other popular religious holidays in Mauritius, although those are not allocated a day off for the whole population. There is for instance, the celebration of Père Laval held on the 9th of September, Holi (a Hindu Festival of Colours) celebrated in March, and the Ganga Asnan (Festival of the Ganges) in November.
