Population

According to Countryaah, the population of the republic is approximately 1.12 million people. The first largest ethnic group is the Indo-Mauritians, about 675 thousand people (more than 55%), the second group is the Creoles (approximately 30%). Creoles live, as a rule, in cities and constitute a layer of society of specialists, merchants, petty officials. The population of Mauritius is also made up of Chinese and French. The Chinese, mostly, have their own shops and own gambling business. The French are mainly entrepreneurs and planters.

Language

The official language is considered to be English. But most of the population speaks Creole, French and Chinese.

Religion

On the islands of Mauritius, one of the most common religions is Hinduism (about 50%), the second most popular is Catholicism (25%), then Buddhism and other religions. Check agooddir for recent history of Mauritius.

Clothing

When going to the islands of Mauritius, you need to take with you not only light things, but also windbreakers, as there is often a sharp change in weather. The rains in Mauritius, though not long, but strong.

After sunset in hotels, it is recommended to walk in light trousers and shirts. Outside the beach zone it is forbidden to walk in swimsuits. Walking in a bathing suit through the streets of the city is most often stopped by the police, and it can also cause condemnation from local residents.

When visiting Hindu temples and mosques, dress modestly and take off your shoes at the entrance.

National features

Mauritians come from three different continents. Therefore, national characteristics have a mixture of different cultures, which are united into a single whole. All this diversity of cultures is primarily connected by a single language, rich literature, and even has its own national dance – Sega. This dance is a shaking of the hips and special movements of the feet, accompanied by songs in Creole. There are also many religious holidays on the island.

Holidays

There are national holidays in the Republic of Mauritius:

• January 1-2 – New Year;
• May 1 – Labor Day;
• March 12 – Mauritius Independence Day;

Chinese holidays:

• January – February: Spring Festival. Always accompanied by noise and bright fireworks. The symbolic color of this holiday is red (the color of happiness). Usually on this day, the inhabitants of the country give red envelopes with money to relatives and friends.
• January-February: Chinese New Year. It is celebrated 15 days after the end of the Spring Festival. On this day, costumed processions (costumes of lions and dragons) take place on the streets of large cities.
• September: Mid-Autumn Festival, it is dedicated to the victory of the Chinese over the Mongol invaders. On this day, crescent-shaped sweets are a special gift.

Hindu holidays:

• January-February: Kavadi is a procession to the temple, with a bamboo tent in which a vessel of milk for the deity is carried. The people participating in the procession are in a trance, and their bodies are decorated with special decorations and needles.
• February-March: Maha Shivaratri. One of the popular holidays in Mauritius. It is celebrated for five days and ends on the night of Shiva.
• March: Holi holiday. This holiday consists in dousing and sprinkling each other with dyed powder and water, as well as wishing each other well.
• October or November: Diwali. Celebrated in honor of the victory of the god Rama over the demon Ravana. This victory signifies the victory of good over evil. On this night, all the inhabitants of the country, regardless of religion, light a lot of candles, open windows and doors to let good luck and happiness into the house.

Muslim and Catholic holidays:

• April-May: Catholic Easter;
• November 1: All Saints’ Day;
• December 25: Catholic Christmas;
• Ramadan: the dates of the holiday depend on the lunar calendar.