Merry Mawlid!

It’s been quite a run of holidays here in Morocco, and consequently too long since we updated our blog. Certainly, being far from family can be lonely, and that’s especially true during the holidays. Even folks who aren’t necessarily very Christmas-ey (and this probably describes us, who decided that instead of Santa, we’d tell Cecily that our cat Monster brings her presents every December 25th), it’s ingrained, somehow, to spend the shortest days of the year surrounded by loved ones, fighting over board games.

So it was with a little bit of anxiety that we rolled into the Christmas week here, knowing that it would be just another day in Morocco. Another cultural expectation was upended, however, because we failed to have a look at the Hijri, or islamic calendar, which is a lunar calendar, and consequently different from the Gregorian Calendar. For the first time in decades, this year Christmas falls on the same day as Mawlid, which is the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, Peace Be Upon Him. So, we ended up celebrating the birth of a major world religious leader after all—phew!

The two-day celebration began on the 24th, carried through Christmas, and is trickling out today on the 26th, with most businesses reopening and the streets filling up again. To mark the occasion, Khalid’s family invited us for a celebration on the night of the 24th to mark the first day of Mawlid.

Being a host in Morocco is a big deal, and dinner is where you can really see this. The dinner (“feast” sounds too expansive and formal, but that’s really more like what it is) was hosted by Khalid’s mother, at her apartment nearby. Khalid and his wife Nadia, his sister Najat and niece Dorayd, and their kids were all in attendance, along with assorted other family members. After being invited in, Cecily was immediately spirited away by Yasmine, Khalid’s precocious and wonderful daughter, to spend the rest of the evening being entertained, cooed at, played with, and sung too. Cecily has some serious admiration for Yasmine!

Cecily wants to be just like Yamine when she grows up.

Seated comfortably in the Moroccan parlor, we practiced complimenting foods and saying, “We are full.” in a variety of languages as the courses kept coming. The meal started with a Moroccan salad, which is a misnomer since it’s mostly fresh seafood. Then, pastella, a Moroccan/Spanish fusion of seafood in a sweet pastry. After the pastella, a meat dish, this time a slow-cooked beef dish with dates, almonds and apricots. Whoa! With two courses of desert to round it out, and, of course, mint tea, the meal was a delight for every sense. 

The pastella has landed. This was not the main course.

Mostly, though, it was nice to be surrounded by a family—fighting, laughing, inside jokes and all. Much of this we couldn’t understand because it was in darija, but it’s surprising how much of family life is universal—the relationships, the ease and caring and familial roles are all instantly recognizable, even if the language is completely foreign. To quote my favorite Christmas movie, Groundhog Day:

 When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter.

Strong work, dessert #1.

We came home from the celebration with full bellies and hearts, and went to sleep that night wondering if Monster would come in the night to bring presents for Cecily. Turns out that Cecily was good this year, because she got her first Christmas present from the mercurial, judgmental Christmas Cat.

Monster came! And all this time I thought that guy hated us.

And so it came to pass, on Christmas Day, the second day of Mawlid, we were able to take full advantage of a completely empty schedule. We all slept in, walked around in the medina to get supplies for a burnt-butter pasta, and watched movies on TV. In the style of a Christmas Miracle, it turns out that the second television in our house (yes, we have two!), has some stations that the first doesn’t, and that one of these stations was showing Home Alone in English. Perfect! We were able to call home and talk to our families, too, which was terrific. Finally, we went to the El Minzah hotel for a Christmas drink (all grocery stores and most bars don’t sell alcohol during the holiday) and, of course, a shot of Cecily looking crazy in front of a Christmas Tree.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all...actually, I think I'm gonna stay up."

And now, we’re on the tail end—one more holiday to celebrate: Boxing Day. We’ve been invited to a Boxing Day party, which will be mostly expatriates. We are excited to meet some more folks living here, and to round out our week of holidays, surely one for the record books. So, to all our family, loved ones, friends here and at home: Happy Mawlid, Christmas, and Boxing Day! With what prayers we have to offer this season, we pray for peace.