La Digue island member of the Seychelles National Assembly chairs meeting of the Organizing Committee

La Digue island member of the Seychelles National Assembly chaired a meeting of the Organizing Committee for the August 15 Island Feast in the presence of Minister for Tourism and Culture.

Hon. Chantal Guislain, the elected member of the Seychelles National Assembly for the La Digue Constituency, last week chaired a meeting of her Organizing Committee for the 2014 edition of the island’s 15th August Feast. Also present at the meeting was Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, who had traveled to La Digue island for the meeting and for public consultations with other interested parties accompanied by Benjamine Rose, his PS for Culture; Jimmy Savy, the CEO of the National Arts Council; and Ralph Amesbury, the Chairperson of the Musicians Association (SEYMAS).

The meeting that was chaired by Hon. Chantal Guislain, the elected member of the Seychelles National Assembly, which put final touches on the 2014 edition of Lafet La Digue, the feast so loved by the Diguois who spend a lot of time preparing for their annual Feast of the Assumption falling annually on August 15. As the month of August nears, it is evident for everyone that the tourist island of La Digue in the Seychelles has becomes the talk of the country, as the Diguois put the final touches to their annual cultural feast.

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

Minister Alain St.Ange, the Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture said that La Digue needed to use the coming event to showcase its strong points as being an island that embraces its cultural heritage. “The August 15 event is itself a cultural event in its own right as our religion and beliefs remain part of our cultural heritage. But La Digue and the Diguois as a whole should also use that opportunity to bring out the uniqueness of the island in the field of food, of music, of artisanal products that have a La Digue label to it,” said Minister St.Ange.

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 at the entrance of La Passe. This will be done by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese Denis Wiehe accompanied by Fr. Francis, the parish priest, and fishermen of the island.

On August 15, the day of the feast itself, Bishop Wiehe will be presiding over the mass at La Digue Ste. Mary’s Church, preaching in Creole for the congregation and 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 such as struggling to climb a greased tree trunk to reach the cash prize at the top, a competition which has been dubbed “Konpetisyon mont poto lagres,” a 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 organizers for the yacht race. “The La Digue feast is also once again a chance to present the island of La Digue to the rest of the world,” Minister St.Ange said.

Also on the program of events for the festival will be a Bal Kreol, and a carnival on the day of the feast will also add to the colorful atmosphere during the celebrations. The carnival will kick off at 4:00 pm on that day, and each float will have a different theme to portray La Digue’s daily life activities. On Saturday night, the SEYMAS Moutya event is expected to move to La Digue for the first time to add to the medley of cultural activities and join the SBC Roadshow broadcasting live from the island for the three days of the festivities.

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

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .

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