Rooted in the Jewish communities of North Africa, Mimouna is a Sephardic Jewish celebration that marks the last day of the Passover. Moroccan Jews have a long, established history in the country – Jews were in Morocco well before the establishment of the Kingdom of Morocco – and their vital role in the fabric of Moroccan society can be seen across all fields of endeavour: from architecture to design to academia. So how is Mimouna celebrated, and what is its symbolism?
Essentially Mimouna is a celebration of forgiveness and redemption: in Nisan (the Passover month), they will be redeemed in the future, they should, therefore, not lose faith. Passover (Pesach) is a major Jewish holiday and occurs on the 15th day of Nisan, the first month of spring. It marks the time when God ‘passed over’ the houses of the Israelites during the last of the ten plagues, as told in Exodus, and liberated them from their bondage. In Morocco, Mimouna marks the end of Passover and the end of the period in which Jews are prohibited from either owning or eating leavened foods for eight days.
Mimouna begins after nightfall on the very last day of Pesach. Non-Jewish families ‘sell’ chametz (foods with leavening agents that are forbidden) to their Jewish neighbours. In ‘return’, Moroccan (and, indeed, Algerian) Jews throw open their homes to their Muslim neighbours, who are greeted with a sumptuous spread of traditional sweets, cakes, cookies and other sweet foods – all symbolic of the ‘sweetness’ of a new beginning. One example of the food served is mofletta, a Maghrebi Jewish pancake. Also on the menu are a variety of symbols of luck and fertility, with the number ‘5’ being particularly symbolic – so you’ll find five pieces of jewellery, for example, or five beans arranged on a sheet of pastry – representing the five-fingered hamsa amulet common in both Jewish and Muslim North African communities. Guests at a Mimouna celebration will also receive a sprinkling of milk from a mint sprig; this, too, symbolises good fortune and new life.
One tradition associated with Mimouna, still practised today, involves Jewish families going to the sea early in the day of the Mimouna to splash water on their faces and walk barefoot in the sea, replaying the scene of the crossing of the Red Sea.
Following the exodus of large numbers of Jewish families from Morocco in the mid-twentieth century, the celebration of Mimouna has transcended borders. It continues to be a yearly celebration of Moroccan Jews and their Muslim neighbours, be it in Israel, France, or wherever they may be. In Israel, it is a yearly event, involving outdoor parties, picnics and barbeques. It is now law in Israel for employees to be granted unpaid leave to celebrate Mimouna if requested.
An admirable aspect of Mimouna is the inter-faith element described above, Jews and Muslims breaking bread together, emblematic of the culture of living together.
Have you celebrated the wonderful festival of Mimouna before? If so, please share your experience with the pan-African!
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