The Mimouna, the traditional post-Passover celebration of Moroccan Jews, perseveres in the North African kingdom despite dwindling numbers and the shadow cast by the ongoing war on Gaza.

In Shadow of Gaza War, Mimouna Still Unites Jews and Muslims in Morocco

Doha – As the sun sets on the last day of Passover, an extraordinary transformation takes place in Jewish homes across Morocco. Seder plates are whisked away, “chametz” is joyfully restored to its place, and tables are bedecked with symbols of luck, prosperity and new beginnings.

This is “Mimouna” – the centuries-old festival that marks the return to leavened life after eight days of dietary restrictions. But Mimouna is much more than a gastronomic celebration. It is a marvelous tapestry woven from threads of faith, community, and the unique cultural heritage of Moroccan Jews.

The holiday’s mysterious origins, diverse traditions and modern evolution reflect the remarkable story of one of the world’s oldest Jewish diasporas – a story of resilience, adaptation and enduring identity in the face of change and adversity.

Origins and history

The precise beginnings of Mimouna are lost in the mists of time, with the first recorded mentions of the holiday dating back to the mid-18th century. However, the festival’s roots likely run far deeper, perhaps even to the times of the illustrious sage Maimonides in the 12th century.

Some scholars suggest that Mimouna commemorates the birth or death of Maimonides’ father, Rabbi Maimon ben Yosef, a renowned scholar in his own right who lived in Fez, Morocco.

Another intriguing theory traces the holiday’s name to the Hebrew words “emunah” (faith) or “maamin” (I believe), connecting it to the unwavering belief in future redemption, even when the long-awaited messiah failed to appear at the end of Passover.

This interpretation is said to stem from Maimonides himself, who explained that “maamin ana” (I believe) was a phrase of consolation exchanged among disappointed Jews, which morphed over time into “Maimouna” in the local Judeo-Arabic dialect.

Alternative etymologies abound, from the Arabic “mimoun” meaning wealth or good fortune, to the manna that nourished the Israelites in the desert, to a shared name with an Amazigh goddess of fate. This linguistic and mythological diversity reflects the rich cultural milieu in which Mimouna evolved, at the intersection of Jewish, Arab, Amazigh and Mediterranean influences.

But there is consensus over the fact that by the 19th century, Mimouna was firmly established as a cherished tradition among Moroccan Jews, who imbued it with profound spiritual significance. More than just marking a return to chametz, Mimouna came to symbolize faith in both the past miracles of the Exodus and the future promise of messianic deliverance.

As the Talmudic sages taught, “In Nissan (the month in which Passover falls) our forefathers were redeemed, and in Nissan we will be redeemed in the future.” Mimouna represented a defiant spark of hope amid the darkness of exile.

Mimouna also coincided with the beginning of the agricultural season in Morocco, lending it the aura of a semi-mystical spring festival. Over time, an extensive repertoire of customs and rituals evolved around the holiday – many quite unique to the Moroccan milieu, others resonating with Passover traditions across the Jewish world.

Customs and rituals

One of the most distinctive elements of Mimouna is the involvement of non-Jewish neighbors in ushering in the festivities. In many Moroccan cities and villages, Muslim friends would bring the first chametz of the holiday to the homes of their Jewish neighbors – a poignant gesture of interfaith conviviality. Some families would even leave the key to their flour stores with Muslim neighbors for safekeeping during Passover.

As night falls, homes are opened wide to visitors and tables are lavishly bedecked with an array of holiday treats – the most iconic being mofletta, a lacy, butter-drenched pancake that’s become synonymous with Mimouna. Golden rings nestle in bowls of flour, while platters are heaped with dates, nuts, sweetmeats and other delicacies.

The number five features prominently in the holiday aesthetics, from five pieces of gold jewelry to five fava beans arranged on pastries – all echoing the protective Hamsa motif that has been a symbol of good fortune across North Africa and the Middle East for centuries.

As guests arrive, they are greeted with another distinctive Mimouna ritual – the sprinkling of milk-soaked mint or other greens, symbolizing divine blessing and new beginnings. Homes are filled with joyous exclamations of “terbhou ou tsaadou!” – “May you prosper and be lucky!” Musicians strike up traditional piyutim and blessings are recited over cups of sweet mint tea.

But the celebrations don’t end with the night. The day of Mimouna is marked by lively outdoor festivities, often centering around water, in homage to the momentous Red Sea crossing that occurred on the last day of Passover. Moroccan Jewish families head to the seashore or local rivers, splashing their faces and wading barefoot – a ritual reenactment of the Israelites’ miraculous passage to freedom. Others visit cemeteries to honor departed loved ones or make pilgrimages to the tombs of local sages and saints.

Throughout the day, children parade in colorful costumes, collecting candy and small coins from neighbors and relatives. In some communities, people exchange traditional clay or straw dolls, or hang Mimouna flags and banners bearing Judeo-Arabic inscriptions. Picnics are held in orchards, where special blessings are recited over budding fruit trees.

Of course, no Mimouna would be complete without a lavish feast, usually a meat-heavy affair to make up for the long weeks of pre-Passover austerity. In the past, Jewish families would stockpile staples like flour, honey, butter and oils for weeks in advance to prepare the Mimouna spread. Recipes were jealously guarded and lovingly passed down from mother to daughter.

But beyond the food, finery and family reunions, Mimouna has always been infused with a powerful mystical and messianic symbolism. The bounty on the tables represents the blessings and abundance to come in messianic times. The ritual opening of locked doors evokes the future ingathering of the exiles to Jerusalem. The whitewashed walls and streaming green plants conjure a purified, Edenic world. Even the “pauper’s banquet” of mofletta and buttermilk is said to recall the manna that sustained the desert generation.

Evolution and endurance

Over the centuries, as the once-vibrant Moroccan diaspora dwindled through emigration and aliya, Mimouna traveled with them to new lands, adapting to different contexts while retaining its core identity.

The mass exodus of the 1950s and 60s brought Mimouna to the shores and cities of Israel, where it was initially marked in private homes and community clubs, providing a vital taste of home for traumatized immigrants.

But starting in 1966, with a 300-strong picnic organized by social activists in Ben Shemen forest, Mimouna burst onto the national scene in dramatic fashion. By 1970, the main event in Jerusalem was drawing tens of thousands.

Today, Mimouna is an inextricable part of the Israeli calendar, with massive public celebrations from Sacher Park to the Knesset itself. It has been embraced by Ashkenazi politicians and the public alike and its symbols – the mofletta, the open door, the fishpond – are instantly recognizable across the country’s fractious cultural divide. By law, Israeli workers are entitled to take unpaid leave for Mimouna upon request. One estimate put country-wide participation at nearly 2 million in 2012.

Mimouna in the shadow of war

Back in the celebration’s homeland, where some 2,500 Jews still reside, Mimouna’s joyous spirit has been dampened by the tragic war on Gaza since last October. The echoes of lively gatherings in synagogues and homes have been muted, replaced by the solemnity of prayer for all affected.

However, in an interview with Morocco World News, André Gomel, vice-president of the Friends Association of Moroccan Jewry, reassured that the impact on daily life for Moroccan Jews has been minimal.

He clarified that “the conflict has an impact on the Jewish tourism in Morocco,” as Israel issued a travel warning to Morocco ahead of Passover with Israel’s El Al canceling its Morocco flight route due to a decrease in demand from Israeli travelers. For this reason, Gomel explained, “all the kosher restaurants which were opened to answer the needs of the Jewish tourists are closed nowadays.”

He noted that while Moroccan associations dedicated to preserving Jewish heritage have canceled public celebrations and conferences, restoration projects at various sites are continuing with government support.

Gomel reminisced about the Mimouna’s “heyday,” when the doors of the houses remained open and it was traditional to visit each other. “Muslim neighbors participated in the celebration,” he said, adding that with the community’s numbers greatly reduced, some families still observe the tradition and invite close Muslim friends.

Prior to the war’s outbreak in Gaza, Israeli tourists had flocked to the kingdom to celebrate Passover and Mimouna even before Israeli normalization, with direct flights easing travel for the million Moroccans in Israel. But anti-Israeli sentiment has peaked in Moroccan society since, with weekly protests featuring the burning of Israeli flags and chants for armed resistance against the occupation of Palestinian lands.

At least 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 200-day war so far. However, despite the charged atmosphere, no anti-Semitic incidents have been officially recorded in Morocco.

Mimouna, then, is a holiday that continues to contain within it both the essence and entirety of the Moroccan Jewish experience. Its mysterious origins speak to the community’s deep roots in the rhythms of Moroccan life, and its unique rituals and customs are a testament to the cultural syncretism that defined Moroccan Jewry for centuries.

At the same time, Mimouna’s journey from the “mellahs” of Casablanca and Marrakech to the streets of Ashkelon and Ashdod reflects the upheavals and displacements that have shaped modern Jewish history. It has emotional resonance for Jews on both sides of the Moroccan-Israeli hyphen is palpable, serving as a bittersweet reminder of a world now vanished, but still achingly alive in memory and tradition.

Despite the scars of conflict, politics and the slow unraveling of the Moroccan diaspora, Mimouna endures as a celebration of resilience, faith and the unshakable bonds of family and community. It reminds us, as only great rituals can, that the past is never quite past, that what was lost can be recovered and reinvented, and that even the darkest of times hold the promise of sweeter tomorrows.