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.
