Chinese Spring Festival in Mauritius

A statutory public holiday

The Public Holidays Act lists the “Day of celebration of Chinese Spring Festival” among the holidays observed each year. The Act does not set a fixed Gregorian date for it; the government describes its timing as dependent on the lunar calendar.[1][2]

A public holiday does not necessarily mean that every worker is excused from work. Under the Workers’ Rights Act, a worker is entitled to normal pay for a public holiday other than a Sunday when it falls on one of their normal working days. If required to work that day, the worker is also entitled to the remuneration provided for under the Act.[3]

The Public Holidays Act provides that an official act due on a public holiday may lawfully be done the following day. Its alternate-holiday provision names Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and All Saints Day; it does not name Chinese Spring Festival. The Act also allows a special public holiday to be appointed by proclamation, so check official notices for any exceptional arrangement.[1]

A Mauritian celebration

The government lists Chinese Spring Festival among the main festivals celebrated in Mauritius and identifies it as Chinese New Year. Its public holiday status gives the festival a place in the country’s national calendar, alongside observances associated with several religious and cultural communities.[1][2]

Mauritius’s official overview traces the arrival of Chinese migrants mostly from southern China, particularly the Cantonese region, to the end of the nineteenth century. Chinese cuisine is part of everyday Mauritian food culture, with fried noodles, rice and spring rolls eaten across communities.[2]

Customs and what to expect

The government describes red as the dominant colour of the celebration and says food may be piled up to signify abundance. It also mentions sharing traditional wax cake with relatives and friends and lighting firecrackers to ward off evil spirits.[2]

The lunar-calendar timing means the holiday falls in January or February, rather than on the same Gregorian date each year. The Act shifts certain official acts due on the holiday to the next day, but does not establish a universal closure schedule for shops, banks or transport. Check directly with a workplace, service provider or transport operator before making plans.[1][2]