La Digue island gears up for its Feast of the Assumption |10 July 2014

As the month of August nears, the island of La Digue becomes the talk of the country, as the Diguois prepare for their annual Feast of the Assumption.

The feast on August 15, which is a Roman Catholic religious feast, has always been a must-attend event among the other religious festivals in the country.

This year, the religious celebrations will start with a procession with the effigy of the Virgin Mary at sea on August 14, which will then be followed by the blessing of the cross situated on the granite boulders right in the entrance of La Passe.

This will be done by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese Denis Wiehe accompanied by the parish priest and fishermen of the island.

Another procession will be held on August 15, the day of the feast itself, starting at 8.30am prior to the traditional mass at St. Mary’s Church.

Bishop Wiehe will celebrate the mass, preaching in Creole for the congregation but also using the English language to welcome visitors flocking to the island for this must-attend festival.

The religious celebrations will be followed by cultural activities for young and old alike. Popular contests here such as struggling to climb a greased tree-trunk to reach the cash prize at the top, a competition which is dubbed ‘Konpetisyon mont poto lagres’, tug-of-war, and a duck race among other activities will bring added fun to the festival.

The Seychelles Tourism Board, a faithful partner to the island’s annual festivities, will be working in close collaboration with the La Digue organisers for the yacht race.

STB’s chief executive Sherin Naiken said the upcoming La Digue feast is once again a chance to present our country, precisely La Digue, to the rest of the world.

“La Digue is one of our jewels and the feast on August 15 is an event which is unique to the island. It is a religious feast, but at the same time a cultural event. At STB, we are committed to putting forward our culture and our people,” said Ms Naiken.

Also on the programme of events for the festival will be a Bal Kreol, and a carnival on the day of the feast which will surely add to the colourful atmosphere during the celebrations. The carnival will kick off at 4pm on that day and each float will have a different theme to portray La Digue’s daily life activities.

The feast on La Digue always attracts a large number of people to the island, making it an all-time favourite among Seychellois and tourists alike.
Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange said as a born and bred Diguois, he remains committed to supporting the Feast of the Assumption of La Digue because it remains a cultural event marking our religious connections and beliefs.