26 Dec 2019

It’s Party Time!

 

In Mauritius, the return of sunny days in the last months of the year is an invitation to celebrate. Festivities start at the end of October with Divali, a Hindu festival in honour of the goddess of light, Lukshmi. All over the island, buildings and houses are decorated with colourful lights, offering an enchanting night sight. Later in the year, Christmas trees (here, filao trees usually replace the traditional coniferous tree) will be adorned with multicoloured light strings and tinsel.

Christmas under our latitudes has nothing to envy of the northern “white” Christmas. Embellished in an explosion of warm and shiny colours, shop windows attract a bustling crowd. In the ever-crowded shopping centres and malls, Christmas carols fill the air. Gift shopping and holiday preparations result in a joyous hustle and bustle, which reaches a climax on the 25th December, around the traditional Christmas table.

 

In the evening of the 31st December, the year ends in a blaze of fireworks in every part of the island, and the new year is welcomed at the sound of firecrackers.