Festival du Printemps à l'île Maurice

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The Chinese New Year: A Fiery Celebration in Mauritius

The Chinese Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, marks the beginning of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar. It's the longest holiday in the Chinese calendar, celebrated annually between January 21 and February 20.

As a lunar-solar holiday, it's also called the Lunar New Year, symbolising the arrival of spring after the winter solstice. Celebrations, traditions, and values of the Spring Festival vary across countries and regions.

Mauritius and the Chinese Community

Mauritius boasts a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community, including Sino-Mauritians, or people of Chinese origin, who play a significant role in the island's society. Although the Chinese population in Mauritius is about 3%, the Chinese Spring Festival is widely and fervently celebrated across the island.

Preparations and Traditions

The Spring Festival is a time for renewal and starting the year on a positive note. In the days leading up to the New Year, families prepare special foods, buy new clothes, and thoroughly clean their homes. Red, a symbol of good fortune, is prominently featured, with spring feast poems displayed on front doors. Everything is cleaned and renewed for the festivities.

Celebrations in Chinatown

Firecrackers, used to ward off evil spirits, are a key part of the celebrations. The main festivities occur in Chinatown, Port Louis, featuring lively lion and dragon dance processions enjoyed by families and tourists.

Unlike the fearsome dragons of Western films, Chinese dragons are considered benevolent creatures responsible for bringing rain and ensuring fruitful harvests. The dragon dance is a popular demonstration of the dragon cult, representing Chinese strength and power.

Decor and Food

Red lanterns decorate the streets, and the air is filled with the aromas of delicious Chinese street food. Traditional foods such as dumplings, seaweed, and raw fish salad are prepared in abundance.

One special treat during the festival is the traditional Chinese New Year "wax" cakes, also known as sticky cake or Nian Gao. Made from dried fruit and rice flour, these steamed gelatinous cakes are distributed among family and friends.

Did you know? On the day of the festival, no knives are used to avoid accidents and ensure a good start to the year, so most preparation is done in advance.

Hong Bao - The Red Envelope

The Spring Festival emphasises family togetherness, exemplified by the tradition of the Hong Bao—a red envelope containing money, typically given to relatives, especially parents and grandparents. Elders give these tokens to children and unmarried youth, symbolising good fortune for the New Year.

Public Holiday

In Mauritius, Chinese New Year is a public holiday, allowing everyone to participate in the festivities. You'll notice that red is the dominant colour of the festival, symbolising happiness and luck in Chinese culture.

Find the full list of National Holidays & Festivals in Mauritius here.

Celebrations at Hotels

The good news for those who don't want to leave their hotel is that most resorts and hotels in Mauritius host unforgettable Chinese Spring Festival celebrations.

You are sure to have a magical Chinese New Year experience, from red Chinese lanterns, umbrellas, and fans in popular areas to themed buffets, novel tasting menus, parades, fireworks, and displays, and maybe even a lucky red envelope on your pillow.