Festivals, Typical food and Cultural Offer in Mauritius
Introduction
Republic of Mauritius is commonly known as Mauritius and it is located in the Indian Ocean as an island nation (Duval et al, 2012). It is estimated that Mauritius is two thousand kilometers from the African continent at the southeast coast. Republic of Mauritius is made up of a number of islands namely: Mauritius Island, Rodrigues Island, Agalega Island and Saint Brandon Island (Cleary, 2011). Mascarene Islands are made up of the French department of Reunion, Mauritius Islands and the Rodtiques islands. The capital city of Republic of Mauritius is called Port Louis. This paper reflects on the festivals, typical food and the cultural offer in Mauritius.
Main Body
Festivals
Mauritius has a number of festivals and holidays, it has been noted that public holidays are characterized with blending of diverse cultures in Mauritius as the history of nation dictates; there are a number of individual cultures that explains the identity of the Mauritius people. Common festivals in Mauritius are Chinese festivals, Hindu festivals, Christian festivals and the Muslim festivals (Duval et al, 2012). Mauritius has fifteen public holidays within a year. Findings indicated that seven of the public holidays and festivals have fixed dates while the remaining eight public holidays and festivals have different dates as they are based on religious grounds. There are a number of other festivals documented in Mauritius namely: Pere Laval Pilgrimageal, Holi and Raksha Bandhan among others that are not documented (Lum & Ngcheong-Lum, 2007).
Typical food
Typical food in Mauritius is a combination of food originating from three continents namely; Africa, Asia and Europe. Mauritius is made up of multicultural societies, in that the cuisines (dishes) have diverse methods of preparations (Ngcheong-Lum, 2007). It has been noted that taking a meal in Mauritius is an enjoyable adventure. The local cuisine is known as the Mauritian cuisine which is made of a mix from the Chinese, African, Indian, Creole and European food components.
Some of the common Mauritius food stuffs reflect on Daube de Poisson, Rougaille Poisson Sale, Langouste la Creole, Briani and the Curry de Cerf among others (Duval et al, 2012). Mauritius snacks identifies with Gateaux bringelles, Samoussas, gateaux piments, batons fromages and gateaux pomme de terre among others. Mauritius people like spicy and hot foods. Mauritius is a nation with the sea surrounding it, an indication that food from the sea is part of the typical food, there are; shrimps, seafood, prawn, oysters and fish commonly served with sauce rouge or what is referred to as the red sauce (Ngcheong-Lum, 2007).
Culture
Mauritius culture is a combination of small indigenous subcultures and cultures of the neighboring continents mainly Africa, Asia and Europe (Mauritius.voyaz.com, 2013). It has been noted that Mauritius culture is defined by festivals, public holidays, cuisine, religious groups, Mauritian folklore, literature and sports among others (Cleary, 2011). The culture is defined by ancestral traditions which date back to thousands of years ago. There are a number of cultures and traditions that defines Mauritius. (Lum & Ngcheong-Lum, 2007)
Conclusion
Mauritius is rich in diverse festivals, typical food and cultural attributes. A number of people from all over the world visit Mauritius to experience the diversity that co-exists in one small country in harmony (Maurel, 2009). It is argued that the Mauritius people have come to respect one another as members of Mauritius nation, and that diversity is about learning from one another and not creating a platform of crisis. Mauritius has diverse number of African immigrants, Chinese immigrants, European immigrants and Indian immigrants among others (Maurel, 2009).
References
Cleary, T. (2011). Mauritius – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture. London: Kuperard.
Duval, X. L. et al. (2012). Positioning Mauritius in the world. The importance of country brand strategy , 2-39.
Lum, R. & Ngcheong-Lum, R. (2007). Culture Shock! Mauritius (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette). Portland, Oregon: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company.
Maurel, M. (2009). Mauritius Travel Pack. Port Louis: Globetrotter.
Mauritius.voyaz.com. (2013). Mauritius Culture. Retrieved June 07, 2013, from Mauritius.voyaz.com: http://mauritius.voyaz.com/culture.htm
Ngcheong-Lum, R. (2007). Culture Shock! Mauritius: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Corporation.
