Editing Mauritius (section)

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Mauritius}}

=== Art ===
Prominent Mauritian painters include [[Henri Le Sidaner]], [[Malcolm de Chazal]], Raouf Oderuth and [[Vaco Baissac]] while [[Gabrielle Wiehe]] is a prominent illustrator and graphic designer.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Experience Mauritius Through Vaco Baissac|magazine=Kreol International Magazine|url=https://kreolmagazine.com/culture/art/experience-mauritius-through-vaco-baissac/}}</ref>

[[File:Place D’Armes, Port Louis, Mauritius 1930s.jpg|thumb| alt=  Vintage Mauritius|
Historical Mauritius. A scene from the 1930s]]
[[File:Chinatown, Port Louis, Mauritius 1860s.jpg|thumb|alt= Vintage years|Chinatown 1860s]]
[[File: View_of_Ebene.jpg|thumb|alt= Ebene City|Ebene City]]

The [[Mauritius "Post Office" stamps]], the first stamps produced outside Great Britain, among the rarest postage stamps in the world, are widely considered "the greatest item in all philately".<ref>David Feldman SA, ''Mauritius: Classic Postage Stamps and Postal History'', Switzerland (1993), ''Prices Realized supplement''.</ref>

===Architecture===

The distinctive architecture of Mauritius reflects the island nation's history as a colonial trade base connecting Europe with the East. Styles and forms introduced by Dutch, French, and British settlers from the seventeenth century onward, mixed with influences from India and East Africa, resulted in a unique hybrid architecture of international historic, social, and artistic significance. Mauritian structures present a variety of designs, materials, and decorative elements that are unique to the country and inform the historical context of the Indian Ocean and European colonialism.<ref name="wmf.org">{{Cite web|title=Traditional Architecture of Mauritius|url=https://www.wmf.org/project/traditional-architecture-mauritius|website=World Monuments Fund}}</ref>

Decades of political, social, and economic change have resulted in the routine destruction of Mauritian architectural heritage. Between 1960 and 1980, the historic homes of the island's high grounds, known locally as campagnes, disappeared at alarming rates. More recent years have witnessed the demolition of plantations, residences, and civic buildings as they have been cleared or drastically renovated for new developments to serve an expanding tourism industry. The capital city of Port Louis remained relatively unchanged until the mid-1990s, yet now reflects the irreversible damage that has been inflicted on its built heritage. Rising land values are pitted against the cultural value of historical structures in Mauritius, while the prohibitive costs of maintenance and the steady decline in traditional building skills make it harder to invest in preservation.<ref name="wmf.org" />

The general populace historically lived in what are termed creole houses.<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 June 2014|title=Old Colonial and Creole-Style Houses in Mauritius – Part 1 – Vintage Mauritius|url=http://vintagemauritius.org/vintage-houses/old-colonial-creole-style-houses-mauritius-part-1/}}</ref>

=== Literature ===
{{Main|Mauritian literature}}
Mauritius is remembered in literature mostly for the novel [[Paul et Virginie]], a classic of [[French literature]], by [[Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre|Bernardin de Saint-Pierre]] and for [[Dodo (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland's Dodo]]

[[J. M. G. Le Clézio|Jean-Marie Le Clézio]], [[Ananda Devi]], [[Nathacha Appanah]], [[Malcolm de Chazal]], [[Eugénie Poujade]], [[Marie-Thérèse Humbert]], [[Shenaz Patel]], [[Khal Torabully]], [[Aqiil Gopee]], [[South Africa|South-African]] born [[Lindsey Collen|Lindsey Collen-Seegobin]] writing in [[English Language|English]] and [[French language|French]], [[Dev Virahsawmy]] writing mostly in [[Mauritian Creole]] and [[Abhimanyu Unnuth]] writing in [[Hindi]] are some of the most prominent Mauritian writers. Le Clézio, who won the [[Nobel Prize for Literature]] in 2008, is of Mauritian heritage and holds dual French-Mauritian citizenship. The island plays host to the Le Prince Maurice Prize. In keeping with the island's literary culture the prize alternates on a yearly basis between English-speaking and French-speaking writers.

=== Media ===
{{Main|Mass media in Mauritius}}

=== Music ===
{{Main|Music of Mauritius|Sega (genre)}}

The major musical genres of Mauritius are [[Sega (genre)|Sega]] and its [[fusion genre]], [[Seggae]], [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] [[Indian folk music|folk songs]], [[Filmi|Indian movie music]] especially [[Bollywood]], and Classical music mainly [[Western classical music]] and [[Indian classical music]].

=== Cuisine ===
{{Further|Mauritian cuisine}}
[[File:Bol-renverse.jpg|thumb|Bol renversé]]
[[Mauritian cuisine]] is a combination of Indian, Creole, French and Chinese cuisines, with many dishes unique to the island. Local variants of Asian and European cusines include vegetarian and non vegetarian [[curries]], [[paratha]]s locally known as ''farata'', the potato rich [[biryani|briani]], wok prepared [[fried noodles|mines frires]] and [[fried rice|diriz frires]], a [[chop suey]] dish known as ''bol renversé'' (upside-down bowl), sausage and tomato based ''rougaille'' and [[Mughlai cuisine|Mughlai]]-origin [[falooda|alouda]], a cold beverage, amongst others. Locally made French pastry and bread are sold in most localities with locally unique desserts like "napolitaine", a local version of [[sablé (biscuit)|sablé]] coated with a pink icing, coconut based ''gâteau coco'' and ''macacha coco'' and iced [[kulfi]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qvSjmNljMfQC | title=Le cari partagé: Anthropologie de l'alimentation à l'ile de la Réunion | isbn=978-2-84586-017-9 | last1=Cohen | first1=Patrice | date=January 2000 | publisher=KARTHALA Editions }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.academiedugout.fr/recettes/comme-un-bol-renverse_11761_4|title=Comme un bol renversé par Académie du Goût|website=L'Académie du Goût}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reunionsaveurs.com/cuisine-et-gastronomie-reunion/accompagnements/le-rougail-de-la-reunion-pilon-ou-marmite.php|title=rougail de la réunion: recette 974 des rougails pilon et marmite|date=1 December 2011|website=Réunion saveurs : Recette cuisine réunionnaise 974}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.infoilemaurice.com/alouda/|title=Alouda, la boisson de l'Ile Maurice par excellence |date=23 March 2019|website=République de Ile Maurice |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/alouda|title=Alouda |website=TasteAtlas}}</ref>

[[Spice mix|Masala]] spices, [[dal]]s, ''zassar'' from Indian-origin [[South Asian pickle|achar]] and leaf vegetables known as [[Leaf vegetable|brèdes]] are commonly consumed in all households. [[Street food]] sold by hawkers include popular wraps ''dholl puri'' and [[roti]], local versions of Indian [[pakoras]] like ''gâteau piment'' and [[chole bhature|chana puris]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roberts|first=Darlene|date=20 October 2016|title=Mauritius Dholl Puri (Yellow Split Pea Wrap)|url=https://www.internationalcuisine.com/mauritius-dholl-puri/|access-date=20 October 2016|publisher=International Cuisine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.supertoinette.com/glossaire-cuisine/519/culinaire/achards.html|title=Achards - définition de "Achards"" - dictionnaire de cuisine|website=Supertoinette}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jardinsdefrance.org/les-bredes-legumes-feuilles-des-pays-tropicaux/|title=Les brèdes: légumes feuilles des pays tropicaux}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KDBuDwAAQBAJ&dq=Chapati+eastern+africa&pg=PA239 | title=Knowledge and the Indian Ocean: Intangible Networks of Western India and Beyond | isbn=978-3-319-96839-1 | last1=Keller | first1=Sara | date=11 September 2018 | publisher=Springer }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XCjAQAAQBAJ&dq=Chapati+eastern+africa&pg=PA124 | title=Street Food around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture | isbn=978-1-59884-955-4 | last1=Kraig | first1=Bruce | last2=Colleen Taylor Sen Ph | first2=D. | date=9 September 2013 | publisher=Abc-Clio }}</ref>
<!---FA and GA review note ..Galleries or clusters of images are generally discouraged as they cause undue weight to one particular section of a summary article and may cause accessibility problems. See WP:GALLERY for more information.--->

=== Holidays and festivals ===
The public holidays of Mauritius involve the blending of several cultures from Mauritius's history. There are [[Hindu festivals]], [[Christian festivals]], [[Chinese festivals]], and [[Muslim festivals]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Public Holidays - 2020.pdf|url=http://pmo.govmu.org/English/Documents/Communiqu%C3%A9%20and%20Reports/Public%20holidays%20-%202020.pdf|access-date=4 November 2019}}</ref> There are 14 annual public holidays in Mauritius with New Year celebrated over two days if it falls on a weekend. All the public holidays related to religious festivals have dates that vary from year to year except for Christmas. Other festivals such as [[Holi]], [[Raksha Bandhan]], [[Durga Puja]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 September 2017|title=Mauritius: Celebration of Durga Puja over nine days for Hindu devotees of the island|url=https://mauritiushindinews.com/mauritius-hindu-festival/mauritius-celebration-durga-puja-nine-days-hindu-devotees-island/|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125034911/https://mauritiushindinews.com/mauritius-hindu-festival/mauritius-celebration-durga-puja-nine-days-hindu-devotees-island/|archive-date=25 November 2022|access-date=25 November 2022|website=Hindi Pracharak|language=en-US}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[Makar Sankranti]] and [[Jacques-Désiré Laval|Père Laval Pilgrimage]] also enrich the cultural landscape of Mauritius.

{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="text-align:left;"
|- style="text-align:left"
!Public holidays in Mauritius in 2023<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pmo.govmu.org/Communique/Public_Holidays_2023.pdf|title=General Notice No 1218 of 2022 – Public Holidays – 2023|publisher=Republic of Mauritius|access-date=14 July 2023}}</ref>!! Date
|-
| [[New Year]]|| Sunday 1 January – Monday 2 January
|-
| [[Chinese Spring Festival]]|| Sunday 22 January 
|-
| [[Abolition of slavery in the British Empire|Abolition of Slavery]]|| Wednesday 1 February 
|-
| [[Thaipusam|Thaipoosam Cavadee]]|| Saturday 4 February 
|-
| [[Mahashivratri|Maha Shivaratri]]|| Saturday 18 February
|-
| [[History of Mauritius|Independence and Republic Day]]|| Sunday 12 March
|-
| [[Ugadi|Ougadi]]|| Wednesday 22 March
|-
| [[Eid al-Fitr|Eid-Ul-Fitr]] (''Depending on the visibility of the moon'')|| Saturday 22 April
|-
| [[Labour Day]]|| Monday 1 May
|-
| [[Ganesh Chaturthi]]|| Wednesday 20 September 
|-
|[[All Saints Day]]|| Wednesday 1 November 
|-
| [[Indian indentured emigration|Arrival of Indian Indentured Labourers]]|| Thursday 2 November 
|-
| [[Diwali|Divali]]|| Sunday 12 November 
|-
| [[Christmas]]|| Monday 25 December
|}

=== Sports ===
[[File:Maiden Cup 2006, Champ de Mars Racecourse, Port Louis, Mauritius - 20060910.jpg|thumb|The Maiden Cup in 2006]]

{{see also|Football in Mauritius}}

The most popular sport in Mauritius is [[association football|football]]<ref>Richards, Alexandra.''Mauritius: Rodrigues, Réunion''. Bradt Travel Guides, 2009, p. 90</ref> and the [[Mauritius women's national football team|national team]] is known as The Dodos or [[Mauritius national football team|Club M]]. Other popular sports in Mauritius include cycling, table tennis, horse racing, badminton, volleyball, basketball, handball, boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, bodybuilding and athletics. Water sports include swimming, sailing, scuba diving, windsurfing and [[kitesurfing]].

[[Kimberley Le Court|Kim le Court]] is a successful professional [[Cycling|cyclist]]. With multiple podium places in the [[African Road Championships]], she is the 2024 national road race and time trial champion. She won stage 8 of the [[2024 Giro d'Italia Women]]. In 2025, she won [[Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes|Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femmes]], came 3rd overall in the [[UAE Tour|UAE Tour Women]] and 5th in the [[Tour of Flanders for Women]]. 

[[Thoroughbred horse racing|Horseracing]], which dates from 1812 when the [[Champ de Mars Racecourse]] was inaugurated, remains popular. The country hosted the second (1985), fifth (2003) and tenth editions (2019) of the [[Indian Ocean Island Games]]. Mauritius won its first Olympic medal at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in Beijing when boxer [[Bruno Julie]] won the bronze medal.

In golf, the former [[Mauritius Open]] and the current [[AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open]] have been part of the [[European Tour]].