There is no doubt that every nation has its own occasions to celebrate,
to express its happiness and its desire to preserve its heritage, and Moroccan
society also celebrates many occasions in order to realize that purpose. These
celebrations have a symbolic sense in which one can notice a perfect fusion
between Islamic symbols and Amazigh symbols. In this article, I will mention
some Moroccan festive occasions and traditions that are practiced in this
country.
Moroccan families celebrate their children's life from their birth to
their marriage. First of all, there is the Sabee or Sboa,
which is celebrated on the 7th day of the birth of a child, when the father
cuts the throat of a sheep for a daughter and of two sheep for a son, and then
gives a name to the child. Then, the parents invite all their friends and
neighbours to share in their happiness for the naming of this new family
member. Next, they celebrate L'khtana, when their son circumcised. In
the past, this operation used to be carried out by a person called L'hajjam,
but now the child is usually taken to the doctor in order to avoid all dangers
or complications. After that, the parents organise a big party to celebrate
this important event.
We also have the Syam L'ouel, which means "the first day
of fast", when parents prepare a special meal for their child, consisting
of honey, dry fruits, cakes, etc. They take their child, who is considered as a
bride or a groom, dressed in his or her traditional clothes, to the photographer
in order to take some pictures as a keepsake. All these celebrations are
organised on this special day to make the child ready to practice easily this
important Islamic pillar.
In addition to that, Moroccan society celebrates many other special
days, such as the Aid Al Adha or the Aid L'kbir, which is
considered to be the greatest religious occasion for all Muslims, when all the
people go in the morning to attend the special prayer that is organized on this
day. Then they come back to cut the throat of a sheep, after which they prepare
the boulfaf from the sheep's liver and all the members of the family
eat together. In the afternoon, families exchange visits at other family
members' places.
Last but not least, there is the Achoura day, which is
celebrated a month after the Aid Al Adha, when the mothers prepare
couscous with 7 vegetables and the children practice some traditions like Baba
Aichor. Also, the parents buy some games and toys for their children and
women also buy some traditional musical instruments (such as the ta'arija,
the bandir, etc.). In this particular occasion, we can notice the
cross between what is religious and what is cultural and traditional.
So, Moroccan celebrations are a
perfect opportunity for Moroccans to be reconciled with each other and to
exchange visits in an atmosphere full of love, tolerance and solidarity. Also,
Moroccan festive occasions will give you the chance to discover the Moroccan
popular culture, which is an excellent mixture between different cultures and
reflects the variety and the richness of Moroccan cultural heritage in all
domains.
Dear Judy
عزيزي Judy
Hi Judy , what's up ? I hope you are fine. Well , I'm
writing this letter to tell you everything about one of the
famous celebrations in morocco : AID AL ADHA
سلام Judy
First of all, "the festival of
sacrifice" is religious event celebrated by Muslims worldwide to
commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim demonstrated his son Ismail as an act of
obedience to GOD
However, GOD provided a sheep instead, once Ibrahim demonstrated
his willingness to follow GOD's commands
So that's why every Muslim must sacrifice a sheep AID
ALDHA is celebrated in our home , but for people who are not married they
should celebrate it with their parents. Second there are some customs that should
be respected like traditional clothes(jelaba) every men , women and children
are expected to wear it . this adds to the spirituality of the celebration.
Right before the long-awaited slaughtering moment , people go to perform the
AID prayer in a large congregation in open area , not in a mosque . We should
pray before the sacrifice of the sheep as a symbol of Ibrahim's
sacrifice. there is also some special meals like "MBAKHAR"
"MROUZIA" ...it's a moroccan traditional food and also the barbecue
that everybody know . this consstitutes the best part of the AID as all members
of the family are gathered, everyone helping with what he/she can .Finally,
after lunch, every one goes to visit his family and have tea, laugh together
and have some good time
That's all for now, see
you next month when you get back. I am expecting a letter from you as soon
as possible
