After we left the Todra Gorge, we were due to head to Skoura (valley of kasbahs) to spend the night, but due to our curiosity and many questions about Eid al Kabir, our driver Hicham (prounounced Ee-sham) invited us to his family’s home in Marrakech to experience the holiday with them the next morning. It’s once a year and the biggest holiday for Muslims, next to Ramadan so we felt pretty honored to have this opportunity (He said it works out for everyone because we can participate and see how they do everything, and he’d get to be with his family for the celebration!). So we are switched up our plan and drove through Skoura and Ourazazate, passing by Ait Ben Haddou. None of the sights we were due to see in these areas would be open on the holiday anyway, so it was more than fine for us to skip them.
After an almost 12 hr drive we arrived at Hicham’s family home, just outside the Marrakech medina. We met his parents, twin sisters, a couple of cousins, and I lost track from there. It was all a bit overwhelming after so much time in the car.
Eid is the most important Islamic holiday. It follows the Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca. It’s a family holiday which starts with prayer at the local mosque (for the men). The women make breakfast, and afterwards the men sacrifice the sheep, commemorating Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his only son, Ismael, to show his ultimate devotion. This is similar to the story of Abraham and his son Isaac in Christian religions. Each Moroccan family sacrifices a sheep to represent their devotion to Allah. In Marrakech and Fez this is done on the roof. I’m not sure if it’s like that everywhere in Morocco.
The sheep is then skinned, and certain parts are removed for various preparations. On the day of Eid the men cut up the organs, mix them with spices and herbs to help wih digestion of the freshly killed meat, and skewer it with tiny bits of fat from the sheep. The skewers are grilled and eaten with bread. Other Eid traditions include giving parts of the sheep to friends, family, and the poor, new clothes for children, dressing up in nice clothing for the celebration, working sons giving gifts to their parents, and visiting family and friends (or in the modern day, calling and texting everyone) to wish them a “Happy Eid!” We were very fortunate to have had Hicham as our driver for the week and that he invited us to join his family for the holiday. What an amazing and unforgettable experience!
Twins Yasmine and Nesrine wanted to make sure we were dressed up for the festivities, so while breakfast was being prepared, we had a bit of a fashion show.
Breakfast started with something similar to Israeli couscous, or tiny pieces of pasta, with a sauce of butter, onions and spices drizzled over. It was savory and delicious!
Next up were platters of breads - the far one was similar to a pancake, made with a runny batter, and only cooked on one side, so there are bubbles on top. The other is a fluffy layered bread made with semolina and pan-fried on both sides. Both are drizzled with honey for a sweet delicious treat!
After breakfast, everyone went upstairs to watch the men sacrificing the sheep.
(Yasmine, me, Nicole, Nesrine)
The women in their holiday best.
The mother of the house showed us the real way to prepare couscous. First you pour water and oil over the couscous.
Next, you fluff and separate the couscous between your hands.
Then you steam the couscous in a special pot, over a pot of meat and veggies, which will be served over the couscous. The fluffing process is repeated every 20 minutes or so.
Our littlest friend, Iman, was always at the center of the action.
The men preparing the kabobs of kidney and heart.
Iman loves to clean. I suspect she will have a very clean house when she’s grown up.
Kabob of kidney (I tried everything I was given)
Couscous is ready!
Nicole, me and Yasmine
We learned the proper Moroccan way to eat couscous - grab bits of the softened vegetables with a handful of moistened couscous, knead and toss it into a ball, then pop it in your mouth. Check out our couscous ball skills!
Our Moroccan family
*Note: I’m sure not all of you would like to see photos of the sacrifice of the sheep, so I’ve put those up on here on Flickr. But fair warning, it’s rather graphic. If you can’t handle it without saying “ew, gross!” please stay here on the blog.
