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Spend New Year’s Eve in Morocco New Year’s Eve is a special opportunity to reflect on all that has happened in the past twelve months and to look forward to the year ahead. For a truly unique and unforgettable celebration, consider spending New Year’s Eve in the Sahara Desert.
A world away from crowded fireworks festivals and late-night parties, our New Year’s Eve in Morocco packages offer an unparalleled opportunity to revel in the star-studded splendor of the world’s largest hot desert. In this most spiritual of places, you can meditate on your recent past and your future hopes and desires, while enjoying a dazzling light show provided by nature itself.
A magical New Year’s Eve in Marrakech:
We all make resolutions at this time of year, but many are conjured up in the rush of a New Year’s Eve in Morocco party and, unfortunately, soon forgotten. In the clear, refreshing light of the New Year in Morocco, the majestic surroundings and towering eternal dunes will inspire you to keep your resolutions and keep moving forward.
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Contact us to organize your trip to the Merzouga desert.
enjoy the best happy New Year in the Sahara desert camp.
The term “holiday”, as it is known everywhere, is simply an expression of importance and joy deeply related to a symbol of a certain social, religious, political, or national issue. Various groups of people gather in festivals on a particular day each year in commemoration of a problem that means a great deal to all of them. However, some may last for more than one day, which makes young children feel happier as they celebrate the event with other aged individuals and adults in an excited atmosphere. It is also known that the community containing various sectors has a distinguished identity of diverse cultural and secular characteristics. This suggests that a country like Morocco is strongly linked to the history that celebrates more than one New Year in the same year. This may be unusual for some, while for others it is a mark of excellence in bringing together one, two, three, and more iconic features of numerous eras in the same place.
WHAT ARE THE THREE NEW YEARS IN MOROCCO?
Annually, all Moroccans celebrate three of the country’s main dates: New Year’s Eve, the “hygge” New Year, and the Amazigh Year. Let’s identify each of them separately and talk about their aspects.
1- THE NEW YEAR EVENT:
New Year’s Eve in Morocco is mainly the first night awaited by everyone every year, not only across Morocco, but it is also the most prominent event that is celebrated with gusto in all parts of the world. On a day like this, every Christian individual, child, parent, family, and group of close friends enthusiastically celebrates the commemoration of the special birth of Jesus Christ.
Everything is set up so that you may enjoy the festive occasion. However, Christian Moroccans, like their peers from other Christians whether Western or Eastern, believe that a new era of grace and peace began on the day Jesus Christ was born, hence it was indicated as The New Year where the Solar Year was dated and the Calendar that was first used. January 1st is considered to be the first day in the Christian Calendar where all people welcome His arrival through different glorious aspects.
how do Moroccans celebrate New Year’s Eve?
Moroccan cities become much more elegant on New Year’s Eve in Morocco and Christmas, where the main Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Rabat, Tanja, and the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean become enchanting. What is this incredible spell of unique beauty?
Most young Moroccans like to spend New Year’s Eve in an interesting way, so they prefer to attend one of the huge festivals in Rabat, Meknes, Marrakech, or Casablanca where music concerts are held bringing together the most national and international figures of music, and song. Many people from different parts of the world visit Morocco on New Year’s Eve to meet their celebrities at one of the organized festivals. They are impressive moments full of joy, charm, and friendliness where fireworks, luminous strings, and carnations are spread everywhere, in the streets, houses, public places, gardens, and hotels, to welcome the new beginning of opportunities. Despite life’s misfortunes, the people of Morocco like to enjoy the arrival of the New Year by praying to God on this special one for the fulfillment of every human being’s wishes for good health and fortune.
Most of the Moroccans in the popular alleys and those of exceptional conditions prepare delicious dessert dishes made with pure love for everyone. They try to spend this important eve in a pleasant atmosphere of kindness.
During the month of December, most of the commercial markets in Morocco make special sale offers where all clothes, shoes, goods, and different electronic equipment are presented at convenient prices. They believe that such an attractive period deserves people’s happiness and satisfaction.
There are many previous plans that are made before the special New Year’s Eve that families and friends decide to enjoy in everything they can offer, and somehow quietly say goodbye to the past year that ends by welcoming the second new year with affection.
2- NEW YEAR’S DAY IN MOROCCO (HIGGREA):
Higgrea New Year’s Day is considered one of the most important religious celebrations in the Islamic world. It is a valuable day that holds important meanings and that is why all Muslims, from the East of the Earth to its West, celebrate this day.
What does the Higgrea New Year’s Day represent?
According to the Eastern Higgrea calendar, all Muslim countries, including Morocco, take the first day of the month (Muharram) as the beginning of the New Year. It dates back to the migration of Muhammad, the prophet, from Mecca to al Madina- Al Munawara as a result of the evil deeds of Kuraish in Mecca. Therefore, the inhabitants of al Madina celebrated the prophet’s visit to them as they were honored by him. However, Omar Ibn al-Khattab, the successor leader of Islam decided the first of Muharram as the first day of the New Year to determine a specific date for official state affairs.
Happy Islamic New Year
Today, most Islamic countries such as Morocco and Saudi Arabia use the lunar Higgrea. In addition, the names of the Higgrea months differ from the solar ones, for example, Muharram corresponds to January in the Gregorian calendar.
The first of Muharram is a mere celebration of such a warm religious and family atmosphere where all Muslims rejoice in the incident. The manners are intimate where Muslims in Morocco greet each other wishing the best for their families and relatives.
The traditions at this time of the year are wonderful as Muslims perform dawn prayers in the mosque where the secular atmosphere is dominated inside the house of God (Allah). This is followed by speeches about the Prophet Muhammad indicating his most influential sayings and deeds. However, it is more of a religious event than a festive celebration of entertainment. It is also a tradition that brings a lot of love among people and is therefore the most favored celebration by all Muslims, wherever they live.
3- AMAZIGH NEW YEAR:
It is not surprising that Morocco celebrates three New Years during the same year and the last one is the Amazigh New Year. It is celebrated by all the Amazigh peoples of the Arab countries of Morocco highlighting their deep historical identity. It was decided to draw people’s attention to more than 3000 years of history, glory, and influence. The Amazigh New Year was decided as a remembrance of the memorable achievements made by the Amazigh’s Phoenician grandparents. Such a day should not be forgotten because of its importance to humanity as a whole.
Moroccans, especially the Amazigh, celebrate and enjoy this day. However, the atmosphere is relaxed and overwhelming, as all the events take place in the middle of nature. They do it as a sign of respect to nature, the first mother of the human being. They cook special meals for the day such as seven-flavored couscous, Takla, or Aseeda, which is made from cereals. They usually cook healthy dishes as they avoid eating meat trying to go back to nature. Family members get together with children and friends to eat healthy food. In addition, Moroccan families buy new household goods on the first day of the Amazigh Year as an attempt to say goodbye to all the old aspects of their lives. It is a kind of welcoming practice done by everyone from the Atlantic to the East.
Another tradition is that the Amazigh goes into the heart of nature in search of new natural herbal remedies. They believe they are healthy enough to cure any physical problem.
Amazigh New Year celebration in Morocco
The sources of cultural diversity are numerous in Morocco and every aspect, festival, and ceremony is deeply rooted in the authentic past. All components of Moroccan society come together harmoniously in the land of Morocco to tell valuable stories to each new visitor.
