Divali festival in Mauritius: the development of a conceptual framework for understanding attitudes towards and intentions to celebrate traditional cultural festivals

The promotion of local festivals as an instrument to bring social and community cohesion is an emerging and important area of research. This is often reflected in the increasing number and diversity of local events (Felsenstein and Fleischer 2003; Gursoy et al. 2004). With a rich history in both the ancient and modern eras, festivals are known to exist in virtually all human cultures (Falassi 1987). These symbolic products, with their social and cultural significance, create a sense of identity for those in quest of cultural pursuits (Lee and Beeler 2007; Prentice and Andersen 2003). In festival celebrations, the history, context and culture play a significant role to ensure their continued relevance. Festivals also serve the needs of residents (Derrett 2003), offering a range of participatory opportunities. Ranging in size from small to large community functions, festivals provide the opportunity for the community to participate in collective experiences distinct from everyday life as well as demonstrate community solidarity (Jeong and Santos 2004). People not only identify themselves and associate meanings with the places they live in, but also are interpreted by others according to where they live. Festivals contribute to a sense of belongingness with the community as well as strengthen an individual?s sense of place identity, as in the cases of Mardi Gras, the Jacaranda Festival in Australia and the Kangnung Dano Festival in Korea (Derrett 2003; Jeong and Santos 2004). Static spaces become animated with cultural celebrations that allow a better understanding of sense of community and place.