Morocco Annual Religious Observances

Aid el Kebir is similar to the Western New Year celebrations. On this day, every family traditionally sacrifices a sheep and shares the meat at a family meal. The holiday is a remembrance of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son at God’s command and God’s mercy of replacing the son with a sheep. People celebrate by cooking special foods and donning their best clothes while visiting family and friends. In smaller villages, children hop from door to door to wish everyone “Umbalid” (Happy New Year).

Thirty days after that, the Prophet’s Birthday (Eid El Mouloud) celebrates the birth of the Prophet Mohammed with various cities putting on lively moussems. Achoura is celebrated on the tenth day of Muharram and is regarded as a day of joy by the Sunni Muslim population in Morocco. Local customs honoring the religious day vary across the country but usually parents offer toys to their children who spend their day playing outside with fireworks. A mix of pastries, nut fruits and apricots are also exchanged. Possibly the most well-known Muslim celebration in Morocco is Ramadan which moves 10 days forward on the Western calendar every year. It is a time of intense prayer and reflection for Muslim Moroccans typically marked by a fasting ritual. This is what you can expect as a traveler in Morocco during this time.