COMING UP NEXT IN THE SEYCHELLES: LA DIGUE’S FESTIVAL OF ASSUMPTION
(Posted 09th July 2014)
It is now just a few weeks to go until the annual ‘Feast of Assumption’ will take place again in Seychelles’ third largest island of La Digue. Normally only visited by day tripper tourists from either Mahe or Praslin, and those connoisseur visitors who appreciate the laid back nature of the island and come to stay longer, the annual Catholic celebration of Assumption brings thousands of Seychellois and hundreds of foreign visitors to the island. Flotillas of boats and extra ferry trips will make sure that everyone who wants to go can go and reach the venue in time.
This year will the religious celebrations start with a procession carrying the effigy of the Virgin Mary at sea on August the 14th which will then be followed by the blessing of the cross situated on the granite boulders at the entrance of La Passe. This ceremony will be performed by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese Denis Wiehe accompanied by the parish priest and the fishermen of the island.
Another procession will be held on the 15th of August, the day of the feast itself, starting at 08.30 a.m. prior to the traditional mass at St. Mary’s Church. Bishop Wiehe will again be presiding over 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, a key part of the Seychelles Tourism Board’s annual calendar of events.
STB’s Chief Executive Miss Sherin Naiken, when raising the curtain for the event this year, said: ‘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 the Tourism Board we are committed to put forward our culture and our people’.
For wannabe visitors to the Seychelles, for this festival or any of the other key events like the Carnival de Carnivals, visit www.seychelles.travel for more details.
