Festivals and celebrations in Morocco

Laura Milena Becerra Ballesteros

Duván Camilo Hernandez Castro
Daniel Santiago Gutierrez Rodriguez

1. The Gnaoua Festival

he knew how to tuck

From June 20th to June 23rd

The Gnaoua Festival is celebrated in Essaouira, a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco that
is famous for its bustling streets and beautiful beaches. This festival is a variety of North African
music, arts, culture, and traditions. It is a great experience that fills the city's streets, squares,
ports, and concert halls with a fantastic spectacle of color and sounds. The traditional rhythms
included funk, blues, jazz, and soul from Africa and the rest of the world, transforming Essaouira
into a musical, artistic and cultural center.

This festival organizes exchanges and dialogues, welcomes all currents of musical expressions
around Essaouira's magician musicians, who are snake charmers, mediums, and seers. Three
days in June are full of music, joy, and brotherhood, and the entrance is free of charge.

The colorful dresses and hats of the Gnawa musicians, covered with shells, together with the
different sounds of their instruments provide both an auditory and visual spectacle. Some of the
best-known genres of Moroccan music come from the classical heritage of Andalusia and reflect
Morocco's historical relationship with Spain. Another important but often forgotten genre of music
is that of the Gnawa, who came from West Africa to Morocco through migration, both voluntary
and forced. Although the Gnawa is now fully integrated into Moroccan society.
 2. The Dátiles Festival

October 17th

Have you heard of the dátiles festival in Morocco? It is celebrated at the end of October in the
city of Erfoud, in the Ziz River Valley, becoming every year the city of the dátiles. Morocco is the
eighth world producer of dates, but these go beyond being a simple food, it is one of the symbols
of its culture, it crosses gastronomic borders and becomes an emblem of the country. It has 5
million palm trees spread over 50,000 hectares.

Most varieties of this fruit are collected by cutting the bunch with a machete. However, there are
some noble varieties that require a more complex collection due to having sizes superior to the
rest and of a higher quality and are collected one by one from the top of the palm tree. One of the
most outstanding varieties is mejhul, due to its high commercial value, but it is less consumed by
Moroccans due to its high price.

Did you know that the average citizen eats more than three kilos a year? It is a fruit of high
consumption by Moroccans. In addition, the country imports an average of 30,000 tonnes per
year to meet domestic demand.
In Morocco, the date is closely related to celebrations, such as Ramadan or at wedding banquets
and baptisms. Although in the date regions it is consumed throughout the year making juices,
once the date has dried.

It is a fruit that never rots, only dries. It provides an amount rich in good sugars. It is highly
recommended for athletes and those who have hard work, due to its great energy contribution.

¿What is the datiles festival?

This festival stands out for being a typical and authentic fair of the region. The walks through the
stops of the souk, folkloric shows through its streets and the tastings of the different varieties of
dates. You will be able to know the whole process of collection and distribution of the plantations
of this fruit thanks to the informative stands that you will find in the souk.

If you are going to visit the city these days you will discover in its streets its inhabitants enjoying
the festival. You will live with them the importance of this celebration and of course, you can try
the authentic datil of Morocco.

3. Kalaat M'Gouna

It lasts 7 days to celebrate the season of roses

In the dry folds on the High Atlas mountains, approaching the Sahara, there’s an unexpected
place called the Vallee des Roses in the spring, the entire area is awash with pink Persian roses.
In the small town of El Kelaa M’Gouna, roses nestle among the hedgerows so that they’re not
immediately visible, but there are some of the town’s lifeblood, from their cultivation through to
the production of rosewater.
The flowers are harvested in mid-May, an event celebrated in the colorful and sweet-smelling
Rose Festival, which draws around 20,000 people to the small town. The three-day festival is a
time of song and dance, feasting, souk-like markets, and a chariot procession through a shower
of rose petals. There’s also a beauty pageant of sorts, with a Miss Rose crowned each year.

Other Local Attractions

The rosewater factories in town are open for tours, and you can buy almost any rose product,
from cream and soap to rosewater, in some shops. If you have your own transport, head out into
the Vallee des Roses, where the walking is excellent in spring.

References

Planet, L. (2009, 11 abril). El-Kelaa M’Gouna Rose Festival in Morocco. World

Nomads. https://www.worldnomads.com/explore/north-africa/morocco/may-rose-

festival-morocco

https://www.festival-gnaoua.net/en/accueil