Travel to Morocco during RAMADAN

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, a holy month that is characterized as a month dedicated to prayer, introspection and daily fasting that symbolizes the mortification of the body and a closer bond with Allah. Fasting is not the only important thing during Ramadan , as it is accompanied by personal discipline, helping others, having good thoughts, etc., in short being a good Muslim and a good person. Its duration is that of a full lunar month and its start date changes every year, advancing 11 days from the previous year, as it begins with the appearance of the moon of the eighth month of the Muslim calendar.

On the last day of Ramadan, called Aid el Fitr, the feast of the end of the fast is celebrated and a handout is given to a person in need in thanks to Allah for having done the fast successfully. Fasting takes place from dawn to sunset and of course there are people who are exempt from fulfilling it as sick, children, weak elderly, travelers, pregnant women, during the puerperium and breastfeeding if the child may be at risk.

Breaking the fast

At sunset, with the sunset and a general warning from the mosques, the cities boil and life intensifies. The bakeries and patisseries open, the streets are filled with people and vehicles and then disappear from the streets as they retire to their homes to eat with the family. During a period of 1 or 2 hours the city is empty, without cars or pedestrians and we will only see on the street the passers-by who break the fast in the cafeterias, and the employees of the stores that perform it in their establishments. After this period of time the city returns to boil, it is filled with people who take advantage of the night to walk or eat something in cafes and restaurants.

Tips for the traveler

There is no problem visiting Morocco on these dates, since only Muslims have the obligation to comply, but the pace changes during this month and must be taken into account. We can buy food and drinks in stores, but we will not find many cafes and restaurants open for breakfast or lunch, only those exclusively for tourists. It is not advisable to eat in public during fasting hours out of respect for the population. Also avoid smoking in public to avoid temptation as Muslims during this month try to lead a healthy life. Access to alcoholic beverages is much more restricted and is prohibited in some places. It is recommended to avoid using the car at sunset, as all Muslims are in a hurry to get home and the “orderly chaos” of traffic reaches its peak. If you have the opportunity to share the first meal with a family after breaking the fast ( ftour Ramadan ), do not miss it and enjoy it. In order to shorten the working hours during this month, return to winter time (GTM-1) instead of the usual one for the rest of the year (GTM + 0), so that the time difference with Spain during this month is 2 hours.

Typical dishes of Ramadan

In this period of time we will have the opportunity to taste exquisite dishes that are cooked for this occasion. In addition to dates, typical foods of this era are harira, hard boiled eggs, beghrir, Berber pizza, noodles and rice, all accompanied by milk and of course mint tea followed by different chicken stews with raisins, roasted sesame and almonds Fried and baked fish. Some of the most common options to break the fast are:

harira: Traditional Moroccan soup, very nutritious, prepared with meat, legumes and tomatoes and seasoned with cilantro, parsley, ginger and pepper to intensify its flavor.

Chebakia: Moroccan sweet made with strips of honey paste coated with sesame and anise seeds inside and mixed with almonds, vinegar, cinnamon, saffron and orange blossom water.

Beghrir: Moroccan crepe, very common also at breakfast. It is served hot with honey, butter, olive oil or argan, to which you can add an almond paste.

Sfijas: they are an empanadas type stuffed with crunchy minced meat and with a very particular flavor that is achieved thanks to pepper and lemon juice.

Gatayef: it is one of the most typical desserts at this time. It is a slightly similar dough the pancakes, which a priori resemble empanadas but sweet and are stuffed with nuts, cinnamon, sugar, cheese and all kinds of delicious products. Once fried, bathe in a syrup scented with rose water to give it more flavor.