The Mauritian public holiday calendar is divided into two parts. Some of the dates never change from one year to the next. The others follow lunar calendars — Hindu, Muslim or Chinese — and therefore shift each year, sometimes by several weeks.

This distinction is not theoretical when preparing a trip: it indicates which dates are secured years in advance, and which are only really fixed at the end of the previous year.

Public holidays with fixed dates

Six celebrations return on the same dates each year, which represents seven days since New Year's Day is a public holiday for two consecutive days:

• 1^er and January 2nd New Year's Day
• 1^er fEBRUARY Commemoration of the abolition of slavery
• March 12 : Independence and Republic Day
• 1^er may Labour Day
• November 2 : arrival of the hired workers
• December 25 : Christmas

In addition to these six, there is a seventh fixed date, but only every other year: the Assumption on August 15th or All Saints' Day on January 1st.^er november, depending on the year.

Religious celebrations on varying dates

Seven festivals take place each year. They reflect the religious diversity of the island.

Hindu and tamil festivals

• Thaipoosam Cavadee (January-February): Tamil festival during which devotees honor the god Muruga. The faithful carry kavadi, ornamental structures of wood and flowers, as a sign of penitence and devotion.
• Maha Shivaratree (February-March): Shiva's great night, the largest Hindu pilgrimage outside of India. Tens of thousands of pilgrims dressed in white converge on the sacred lake of Grand Bassin.
• Ougadi (March-April): New Year of the Telugu community, symbolically marking the creation of the world and renewal.
• Ganesh Chaturthi (August-September): celebration of the birth of the elephant-headed god, deity of wisdom, whose statues are carried in procession to the water.
• Diwali (October-November): the festival of lights, the most widely shared between communities, where thousands of oil lamps called diyas illuminate houses and streets.

Muslim holiday

• Eid-ul-Fitr : marks the end of the month of Ramadan. Its date depends on the sighting of the moon and is only confirmed a few days beforehand.

Chinese festival

• Chinese new year (January-February), also called the spring festival: beginning of the Chinese lunar year, celebrated with lion dances, firecrackers and family meals.

Alternating Catholic holidays

The Assumption (August 15) and All Saints' Day (1^er november) are never public holidays in the same year: they alternate. In 2026, it was the Assumption. In 2027, it is All Saints' Day, confirmed for Monday the 1st.^er november, according to the official list.

The consequence often surprises visitors from a country where august 15th Is a public holiday every year: In 2027, It will be an ordinary working day in Mauritius.

The list of sixteen dates appears at the top of this page. It remains to be seen what determines it, and what it truly means for someone organizing a trip or undertaking a project.

Where did this list come from?

In Mauritius, the public holidays for a given year are determined by the government and then published in the Official Journal in the form of a General Notice issued from the prime Minister's office. For 2026, it was General Notice no. 1195 of 2025.

At the time of writing, the corresponding General Notice for 2027 has not yet been published. The list above is taken from the deliberations of the Council of Ministers of August 28, 2026, which currently constitute the most advanced official source. The text published in the Official Journal will confirm these dates in the coming months.

Sixteen dates, but ten working days

The number sixteen gives the impression of a very generous calendar, and it needs closer examination. six of these Sixteen dates fall on a saturday or sunday. the remaining sixteen Are... ten working days effectively off in 2027: the 1^er and January 22nd, the 1st^er february, March 10 and 12, April 7, September 6, October 29, then the 1^er and November 2nd.

For comparison, 2026 had fifteen entries on the calendar, two of which fell on the same day — the abolition of slavery and Thaipoosam Cavadee, both on the 1st^er february — that is, fourteen separate days. The details are in our 2026 Public Holidays Guide.

Two differences separate 2027 from the previous year, and neither of them is a coincidence.

Monday, September 6th, a new kind of public holiday

In 2027, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on sunday, September 5. Monday, september 6, is also declared a public holiday, pursuant to section 3(3) Of the Public Holidays Act as amended by the economic and Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026.

This provision is recent. In the consolidated version of the Public Holidays Act available online, as of June 30, 2017, section 3 consisted of a single sentence and had no subparagraphs: paragraph 3(3) is therefore indeed a creation of the 2026 Act. Its text was not yet accessible at the time of writing, and we prefer not to state the general rule without having read it.

What the 2027 calendar reveals, however, is that Ganesh Chaturthi is the only public holiday of the year to fall on a Sunday, and it is the only one to result in an extra day off. The five dates that fall on a Saturday are: January 2, February 6, March 6, and January 1.^er may and December 25th are not followed by any postponement. The mechanism therefore seems to target Sundays, but the publication of the text is still necessary to confirm this.

For a visitor, the consequence is concrete: the weekend of September 4-6, 2027 will be a three-day weekend nationwide.

All Saints' Day replaces the Assumption

This is the effect of the alternation described above. In 2027, August 15th is not a public holiday; the 1st^er november is. And as the commemoration of the arrival of the indentured workers falls the following day, November 2, these two dates follow one another — which feeds into the sequence at the end of October.

This is where the calendar becomes a tool for preparation, whether you live in Mauritius or are visiting.

Five consecutive days from October 29th to November 2nd

The end of October 2027 includes three public holidays separated by a single weekend:

• Friday, October 29 Diwali
• Saturday 30th and sunday 31st october
• Monday 1^er november All Saints' Day
• Tuesday, November 2nd : arrival of the hired workers

Five consecutive days without administrative or banking activity, from Friday to Tuesday. This is by far the longest such period of the year. It begins with Diwali, the night when the entire island lights up, and closes in on the ceremonies of theAapravasi Ghat.

Depending on what you're looking for, it's either the best or the worst time of year. The best for experiencing Mauritius in full celebration: two major events in four days, including the most spectacular one. The worst if your itinerary involves a bank or government office being open.

The March bridge

Eid-ul-Fitr falls on wednesday, March 10th and the national holiday friday, March 12. Only one working day separates them, Thursday the 11th. Whoever takes this Thursday off then has five consecutive days off, from Wednesday the 10th to Sunday the 14th of March.

Three-day weekends

Four dates can extend a weekend without needing to take a day off Work:

• From friday 1^er to Sunday, January 3 (New Year's Day, Saturday the 2nd also being a public holiday)
• From friday 22nd to sunday 24th january (Thaipoosam Cavadee)
• From Saturday, January 30th to Monday, January 1st^er february (abolition of slavery)
• From saturday 4th to monday 6th september (Ganesh Chaturthi and the additional monday)

Public holidays that don't change the work schedule

Five dates fall on a Saturday and therefore do not free up any additional days: January 2nd, Chinese New Year on February 6th, Maha Shivaratri on March 6th, Labor Day on January 1st^er may and Christmas on December 25th. They remain fully-fledged holidays, simply without effect on working days.

A Mauritian public holiday is not a day when nothing happens. It is often the opposite: these are the only opportunities to see the island in its living traditions, and not in its postcard setting.

Thaipoosam Cavadee — friday, January 22

After ten days of prayer and fasting, Tamil devotees converge on the kovils carrying kavadi, wooden arches adorned with flowers. Some perform impressive penitential rituals. The processions depart early in the morning, notably in Port Louis, Triolet, and Terre Rouge.

Abolition of slavery — monday 1^er fEBRUARY

A solemn day commemorating the official abolition of slavery in 1835. Ceremonies are held throughout the island, particularly in Le Morne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which served as a refuge for runaway slaves. See our article on...anniversary of the abolition of slavery.

Chinese new year — saturday, February 6

Dragon and lion parades, firecrackers, martial arts demonstrations, and gastronomy in Port Louis' Chinatown. See our article on the chinese New Year in Mauritius.

Maha Shivaratree — saturday March 6

Tens of thousands of pilgrims dressed in white walk towards the sacred lake of Grand BassinSome walk barefoot for dozens of kilometers, carrying kanwar decorated with flowers and mirrors. The pilgrimage lasts for several days and severely disrupts traffic in the center of the island. Our maha Shivaratree guide details the procedure.

Eid-ul-Fitr — Wednesday, March 10 (subject to change)

End of the month of Ramadan. Prayer at the mosque in new clothes, family reunions, and sharing biryani with neighbors and the poorest, regardless of their religion.

National holiday — friday, March 12

Anniversary of independence in 1968 and of the attainment of the Status of Republic In 1992. a large official ceremony is Held at The champ De mars, in port louis, the very place where the mauritian flag was first Raised on March 12, 1968. parades, concerts and fireworks follow throughout the country.

Ougadi — wednesday, April 7

New Year for the Telugu community. Houses are cleaned and decorated with garlands of mango leaves and rangoli, and ceremonies are held in temples. See our article on Ugadi in Mauritius.

Ganesh Chaturthi — sunday, September 5

The Marathi community parades with richly decorated statues of the elephant-headed god to a river, lake, or the sea, where they are immersed after prayers. The processions cause traffic delays on coastal roads.

Diwali — friday, October 29

The Festival of Lights, and undoubtedly the most beautiful night of the year in Mauritius. Thousands of diyas, those small oil lamps, line up in front of houses and along walls, in villages and towns alike. Walking through the central villages at nightfall that evening is an experience in itself. Our article on Diwali in Mauritius tells the story of this celebration.

All Saints' Day — Monday 1^er november

A Catholic holiday, observed alternately with the Assumption. Families go to the cemetery to place flowers on the graves.

Arrival of hired workers — tuesday, November 2

Commemoration of the arrival of the first indian indentured laborers, beginning In 1834. official and cultural ceremonies are held at theAapravasi Ghat, in Port louis, a uNESCO world heritage site.

This is not a holiday

Two major events on the Mauritian calendar are not public holidays, which often surprises people. father Laval's pilgrimageHowever, on the night of September 8-9, tens of thousands of people from all faiths gathered in Sainte-Croix. HoliThe festival of colors is not a public holiday either, even though the celebrations are widely attended.

How to attend

Most public celebrations are open to everyone, regardless of origin or religion, and Mauritians readily share their traditions with anyone interested. A few customs to observe: clothing should cover the shoulders and knees in places of worship, shoes must be removed upon entering temples, silence is observed during prayers, and permission must be requested before photographing anyone participating in a ceremony.

Each festival also has its own table: mithai and cakes for Diwali, dumplings and rice cakes for the Chinese New Year, biryani and sheerkurma for Eid. This is often where the encounter begins.

On this point, a distinction must be made between what the law establishes and what is customary — and this distinction is rarely made.

Government agencies, courts and banks

The Public Holidays Act explicitly addresses two situations. Section 5 provides that any act which is due to be performed before a judge, court officer, or public official on a public holiday may validly be performed on the following day. Section 4 provides that bills of exchange due on a public holiday become payable on the following day.

In other words, public administrations, courts, and banking services do not operate on those days, and the law itself mandates the postponement to the following day. Specifically, a procedure scheduled for Friday, October 29, 2027, will take place on Wednesday, November 3—five days later.

For the workers

Public holidays are days off for most employees, and businesses and government offices close. Essential sectors are exceptions: healthcare, emergency services, hotels, and restaurants continue to operate, which explains why a hotel stay usually goes unnoticed.

Shops, transport and excursions: what no official source establishes

For everything else, the honest answer is that there is no published national rule. The Public Holidays Act doesn't mandate the closure of private businesses; it designates public holidays and regulates what happens in government offices, courts, and with regard to commercial transactions. It doesn't specify whether a supermarket is open or how frequently buses run.

It's often said on travel websites that supermarkets close at noon on public holidays and that buses switch to a Sunday schedule. We haven't found any official source to substantiate either of these claims, which circulate from one site to another without reference. We prefer not to repeat them.

What is certain, however, is that the practice varies depending on the festival. A 1^er may, a Diwali day, and a Wednesday during Ugadi do not have the same effect on the activity of a seaside resort. The only reliable method is local:

• Ask your hotel or villa owner the day before: they are the ones who know what is open in their village.
• Call the provider of an excursion or sea trip directly rather than relying on schedules published online.
• See our page on supermarkets and shopping centers to identify the brands to contact.

Anticipate, in four reflexes

• Withdrawing cash or exchanging money the day before: see our guide money and budget for a holiday in Mauritius.
• Fill up your fuel tank and do your essential shopping beforehand, especially if a public holiday falls at the beginning of your stay.
• Book restaurants and activities in advance: these are also the days when Mauritians go out.
• Allow plenty of time for travel on major pilgrimage days: Maha Shivaratri Saturates the roads in the center for several days, and the ganesh chaturthi Processions Slow down the coast.

This is a persistent misconception, and it deserves to be qualified.

With sixteen dates in 2027, Mauritius indeed ranks above most Western countries: France has eleven nationally — thirteen in Alsace-Moselle — and England and Wales have eight. bank holidayAnd the United States eleven federal holidays since the creation of Juneteenth in 2021.

But a simple comparison is Misleading. six of the sixteen mauritian Dates in 2027 fall on a weekend, reducing the number of public holidays to ten. And a year like 2026 only had fourteen such days in total, including two holidays on the Same day. the mauritian calendar is generous, but not exceptional.

What really distinguishes it is not the number, but the distribution: each major religious community in the country has its own date, which is much rarer than having sixteen days off.

The Mauritian public holiday calendar tells the story of a nation built by successive waves of migration. From African and Malagasy slaves to Indian indentured laborers, from Chinese traders to French and British settlers, each group brought its traditions and celebrations, and each eventually earned its place in the official calendar.

Two dates are enough to measure the progress made. The 1^er february commemorates the abolition of slavery; November 2nd marks the arrival of the indentured laborers who succeeded them in the sugarcane fields. These two days, separated by nine months in the year, tell the story of the two halves of the Mauritian population today.

The rest of the calendar does the same thing, but in a more joyful way. A Hindu participates in the Chinese New Year celebrations, a Muslim attends the Diwali illuminations, a Catholic watches the Cavadee processions. Holidays become times for sharing as much as for rest—and that's what a visitor who arrives at the right time sees.

An official list is not a fixed calendar. Two mechanisms can modify it.

Moon observation

The date of Eid-ul-Fitr, set for Wednesday, March 10, 2027 in the official list, is explicitly given as a condition: it depends on the visibility of the moon and is only confirmed a few days before.

The amendment during the year

The government can change a date that has already been published. The example of 2026 is instructive: by General Notice No. 611 of May 25, 2026, Ganesh Chaturthi was moved from Wednesday, September 16 to Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the request of the Mauritius Marathi Mandali Federation. Several online calendars still displayed the old dates for the months after the correction.

The lesson applies to 2027: when approaching a holiday with a variable date, the source to consult is the Prime Minister's office or the press release from the Council of Ministers, never a generic calendar copied from one site to another.

How many public holidays are there in Mauritius in 2027?

Sixteen dates appear on the official 2027 calendar, compared to fourteen separate days in 2026. Six of them fall on a Saturday or Sunday, which reduces to ten the number of working days actually off.

Why is monday, September 6, 2027 a public Holiday?

Because Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Sunday, September 5, 2027. Monday, September 6, is declared a public holiday under section 3(3) of the Public Holidays Act, a provision introduced by the Economic and Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026. It is the only public holiday in 2027 to fall on a Sunday, and the only one to result in an additional day off.

Is August 15th a public holiday in Mauritius in 2027?

No. The Assumption and All Saints' Day alternate as public holidays each year. In 2027, it's All Saints' Day, on Monday the 1st.^er november. August 15, 2027 is an ordinary working day in Mauritius.

What is the longest weekend of 2027 in Mauritius?

From Friday, October 29th to Tuesday, November 2nd, 2027: Diwali on Friday, the weekend, All Saints' Day on Monday, and the commemoration of the arrival of indentured laborers on Tuesday. Five consecutive days, the longest sequence of the year.

Do shops and buses operate on public holidays?

Government offices, courts, and banks are closed: the Public Holidays Act itself organizes the postponement of services and payments until the following day. For shops, transport, and excursions, there are no published national rules, and practices vary depending on the holiday and the operator. The safest approach is to check with your accommodation provider the day before or call the relevant service provider directly.

Could the 2027 dates still change?

Yes. The date of Eid-ul-Fitr is subject to change as it depends on the sighting of the moon. And the government can amend a date that has already been published: Ganesh Chaturthi was thus moved by one day in 2026, mid-year.

Should you avoid travelling on a public holiday?

No, on the contrary, unless your stay is tied to an administrative or Banking procedure. these days are the only opportunities to attend major mauritian celebrations, and hotels and restaurants continue to Operate. the real constraint is the traffic on pilgrimage days.

Is a religious festival open to non-practicing People?

Yes, most public celebrations are open to everyone, regardless of the visitor's religion. Modest attire, silence during prayers, and asking permission before taking photographs are expected.