Culture & food

The roulèr

A large drum made from an ox hide stretched over a barrel, which the musician sits astride to shape its sound: the rhythmic backbone of maloya.

The kayamb

A flat rattle made of tamarind or filao (casuarina) wood, filled with sugar cane flower stems and dried seeds, shaken from side to side to produce maloya's characteristic rustling sound.

The pikèr and the sati

Small percussion instruments made of bamboo (pikèr) or sheet metal (sati), of Tamil origin, often given to children when they are first introduced to maloya.

The bobre

A rare musical bow with a gourd resonator, of Malagasy origin; few musicians still master it today, making it a marker of tradition.

An evening that follows a ritual

A kabar often begins at sunset in a kour (family yard), opens with an invocation called the lékèr, then moves on to maloya and séga until dawn.

The servis kabaré

This ceremony honouring the ancestors, the origin of the word “kabar”, is still practised today in some Réunionese families.

Everyone takes part

Unlike a concert, a kabar has no audience: everyone sings, dances or plays, in a spirit of sharing rather than performance.

Party music

Séga traditionally accompanies special occasions and popular dances, with a livelier tempo than maloya.

A shared Indian Ocean heritage

Séga is found in similar forms in Mauritius, the Seychelles and Rodrigues: a musical heritage shared between the islands.

Séga piqué

A variant driven by the pikèr, which brings Réunionese séga closer to the sound of maloya.

A rich religious heritage

Thirteen mosques, numerous Tamil temples and kovils, historic churches and Chinese places of worship shape the island's religious landscape.

Festivals shared by all

Dipavali, Cavadee, Creole Christmas and Chinese New Year bring people together well beyond their community of origin, in a proudly shared spirit of living together.

No dominant tradition

Unlike some other post-colonial societies, no religion holds an officially dominant place in public life in Réunion.

Fire-walking

One of the most impressive rituals in the Réunion calendar, performed in honour of the goddess Pandialé; it is distinct from Cavadee but often celebrated around the same time.

A colourful procession

The faithful carry the cavadee, a decorated structure, as an offering, often after fasting and preparatory rites.

The Temple du Colosse

In Saint-André, the island's largest Tamil temple is one of the main places where Cavadee is celebrated.

The festival of light

Dipavali symbolically celebrates the victory of light over darkness, with illuminations and decorations in the streets and temples.

Popular parades

Brass bands, shows and dances set the rhythm of the celebrations, which are widely open to everyone on the island.

Centred on the north-east

Saint-André and the neighbouring towns, where the Tamil community is particularly present, host the biggest celebrations.

The month of Ramadan

For a month, Réunion's Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The iftars (fast-breaking meals) bring families and communities together.

The Eid prayer

On the morning of the first day, a large communal prayer is held in mosques and in some open spaces. It is followed by family visits and festive meals.

A community of many origins

The “Zarabes” (Sunnis of Gujarati origin), the “Karanes” (Shias who came from Madagascar) and the Comorian community, now the largest, celebrate Eid al-Fitr together.

Christmas in the tropics

Decorations, festive meals and letters to Father Christmas go hand in hand with the December heat, far from the traditional wintry image.

Creolised dishes

The Réunionese Christmas meal often combines traditional French dishes with Creole specialities, with letchis (lychees) and gâteaux lontan (old-style cakes) for dessert.

Historic churches

Saint-Denis cathedral and the Sainte-Anne church in Saint-Benoît are among the busiest places of celebration on the island.

Commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham

According to Qur'anic tradition, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son; at the last moment, a sheep is put in his place. This story underpins the ritual of animal sacrifice and the spiritual meaning of the festival.

The shared meal

The sacrificed animal is shared: one part for the family, one for relatives and friends, and one for those most in need. Sharing and generosity are at the heart of the festival.

In communion with the pilgrims of Mecca

Eid al-Adha coincides with the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Réunion's Muslims who do not make the journey celebrate the festival in spiritual communion with pilgrims from all over the world.

The varangue

A true outdoor living room, it shelters from sun and rain while staying open to the garden: the place where people welcome guests, chat and relax.

Lambrequins

These friezes of cut-out wood decorating roofs and varangues are the work of the tinsmith, the craftsman who turned the Creole house into a true decorative language.

The guétali

This small wooden kiosk, set in a corner of the garden, let residents watch the street and greet passers-by without ever leaving home.

A unique stitch

The very fine, openwork Cilaos stitch sets this embroidery apart from every other textile tradition in the Indian Ocean.

La Maison de la Broderie

Based in Cilaos, it gives you the chance to meet the embroiderers and discover skills passed down for generations.

A living craft

Far from being a mere souvenir frozen in the past, Cilaos embroidery is still practised and taught today.

The vanne, a way of life

Teasing without hurting, sharing a laugh with complicity: Réunionese vanne is as much a way of showing affection as it is humour.

The Sunday picnic

With family or friends, on the beach or in the Hauts (the uplands), the Sunday picnic remains a widely observed weekly ritual on the island.

Open-air markets

Every town has its weekly market, as much a social occasion as a place to shop; Saint-Pierre's, on Saturdays, is still the biggest on the island.