Mauritius - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & CultureMauritius is a conundrum. A small, exotic, multiethnic island nation in the Indian Ocean, to some it is a multicultural "rainbow," a haven of peace, love, and understanding. Others see it as ethnically divided, cultivating only "sugarcane and prejudice." Opinions differ as to whether it is a Creole island, a Hindu-dominated Little India, or a neo-colonial outpost of the French-speaking world. Optimists see it as the biggest social and economic miracle of the post-colonial world, whereas pessimists believe it to be a social accident waiting to happen. For many visitors Mauritius appears to be a carefree tropical paradise, but its complexity will baffle any foreigner who dares to leave the comfort of the luxury beach resort. Daily life is far from idyllic for the majority of the population struggling to reconcile traditional culture and old ethno-religious antagonisms with the demands of the modern world. Mauritius is a very new nation, formed over the past three centuries. Although the South and East Asian influence is very strong, its most defining characteristic is its very multiculturalism. Its traditions reflect the diversity of the people, and Mauritian language, food and religion form an intoxicating medley. Other customs have been created locally and are shared by all, such as the lively and popular musical tradition of sega. Modernization and global economics mean many younger Mauritians now share a common culture and outlook on life, where the sense of being Mauritian outweighs ancestral ties and divisive communalism. Culture Smart! Mauritius will help you make sense of the modern and the traditional, of shared and ancestral culture, and enable you to navigate your way through the contradictions at the heart of modern Mauritius. Show the expected courtesy and respect and you will meet many extraordinary, warm-hearted, patient, and friendly people who are keen to welcome outsiders from any part of the world. |
Contents
Climate and Weather | |
Government and Politics | |
Religion in Mauritius | |
Racism and Communalism | |
Births Naming Ceremonies and Birthdays | |
MAKING FRIENDS | |
Daily Life | |
Restaurants | |
Common terms and phrases
African Agalega alcohol ancestry Anerood Jugnauth arrived background Bhojpuri British Catholic celebrate central plateau towns century Chagos Chagossians Chinese colonial communities country’s Creoles culture Curepipe cyclones developed dishes dodo drinks Dutch Eid ul-Fitr English especially ethnic ethno-religious European festivals foreign Franco-Mauritians French friends groups Hinduism Hindus important increasingly indentured laborers Indian Ocean Indo-Mauritians interethnic involves Islamic island Kreol language large number lives Mahébourg Malagasy Malcolm de Chazal Mascarenes Mauritian Hindus Mauritian population Mauritian society multicultural music of Mauritius Muslims natural Navin Ramgoolam normally offer one’s organizations other’s percent political popular Port Louis relatives religion Religion in Mauritius religious respect Réunion Rodrigues Rose Hill rural areas sector Seewoosagur Ramgoolam sega Seychelles shops Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam slavery slaves social sometimes South Asian sugar sugarcane Tamil taxi television traditional tropical usually wedding Western women