Seders to Mimouna: It's All About Community
Mimouna, did you say Mimouna? I haven’t heard that word since I was in 2nd grade! I remember people were all in the streets, going in and out of each home with all kinds of sweets, music, dancing… wow, it was so much fun and I haven’t thought of it all this time!" – Ariella Katz
Mimouna, literally meaning “luck,” is a little known celebration in the US. It's all about culture, food, music, and community- a beautiful Moroccan tradition marking the end of Passover. After a chametz free (flourless) week, Muslims brought wheat and sweets to their Jewish neighbors- marking the end of the Passover with wishes for a sweet spring. Most Americans have likely never heard of Mimouna, and many will find it even harder to believe that this is truly an intercultural tradition between Muslims and Jews. Ask an Israeli, and they’ll tell you that they love it! Revived in Israel in the 1970s by the influx of Jewish Moroccan immigrants, Israelis have embraced this post-Passover party tradition in modern ways, but with traditional roots, opening their homes to friends and neighbors with sweets, music, and camaraderie.
Here in Boston, Prism and the American Islamic congress have brought this lively tradition to life for the past 2 years, and the 3rd annual celebration will be Sunday, April 15th at Villa Victoria Center for the Arts. Complete with Moroccan music, traditional flaky mufletas drizzled with honey, and Moroccan costumed Photo Fun Box, this is a party everyone can get behind. After all, whether you have a traditional Mimouna table with flour, fish, pastries and more, representing spring and renewal, or whether you just have a big party, Mimouna is about community coming together. As Passover begins with conversations of freedom and community, think ahead to the end and consider ending your breadless days with a Mimouna celebration. Make your own on Saturday night, check out the Moroccan culture at Villa Victoria on Sunday- we hope that you will join in this tradition and bring it new life in the us! Take this as an opportunity to come together and celebrate as a larger community- Muslims, Jews, Berbers, atheists... This is a night to come together around food, music, and culture.
From Seders to Mimouna, we wish you a season filled with freedom, good luck, and community.
*thank you to Rachel Sharaby, author of Political Activism and Ethical Revival of a Cultural Symbol
