Yennayer is the first month of the Amazigh Year . the Amazigh year used since antiquity by the Imazighen in North Africa. Its first day corresponds to the first day of January of the Julian Calendar, which is shifted thirteen days compared to the Gregorian calendar.However, Yennayer is very widespread in the Maghreb. It is considered as national celebration. The Berber year 2974 corresponds to the present year 2024.
Almond Blossom Festival – Morocco's almond capital of Tafraoute (and nearby Valle Dei Tempi) hosts a celebration of the harvest every February. The Almond Blossom Festival features traditional Berber art forms, from live music to folkloric dance, and a range of almond products for sale. The date varies each year, but the festival always happens in February. If you make the trip, don't miss the chance to hike in the nearby mountains and check out the famous Blue Painted Rocks.
There are two main annual events taking place in Morocco in March. In the small town of M’Hamid El Ghizlane (60km south of Zagora), the International Nomads Festival is a free open-air event celebrating all aspects of nomadic culture. It invites local, national and international artists to showcase their poetry, music, dance, storytelling and handicrafts. Conferences and workshops also take place to discuss issues related to nomadic lifestyle, agriculture, environmental protection, education and more. Traditional dishes are also prepared here, and you can even practice some traditional sports. The majority of the event, however, takes place in an especially set-up nomadic camp some 20km from M’Hamid. If you’re planning to attend the International Nomads Festival, make sure to arrange appropriate transportation in advance as the roads are not in the ideal condition.For art enthusiasts, the Marrakech Biennale is the perfect place to be with its displays of avant-garde contemporary art, literature and film. With the aim of addressing social issues and bridging cultures through the arts, the 1-month event is held every 2 years and usually opens at the beginning of March and ends in late April or early May. It features a main visual arts exhibition and various other art installations, discussions, film screenings and debates and is a Morocco festivals highlight!
Rose Festival, El Kelaâ M'Gouna, Dadès Valley. A colorful (and aromatic) festival held in late May that coincides with the harvest of Damask roses in the valley. Music and dancing are accompanied by the obligatory showers of rose petals, and children line the roads selling fresh garlands.
In July the Moroccans celebrate the National Festival of Popular Arts of Marrakech. This festival has also been declared a Heritage of Humanity for its spectacular display of colour, music and traditional dances.In Assilah, you can participate in the International Cultural Festival which bears the same name. There are concerts, workshops, theatre performances, shows with horses and the most picturesque: the white walls of the city are painted in different colours.
Among the popular religious festivals, in August the Moussem Festival of Moulay Abdellah is celebrated. At the end of the month, in the Ourika Valley, there is also the Setti Fatma Festival, and to the north of Meknes, the Moulay Driss Zerhoun.In these festivities of Morocco, religious content is celebrated with great fervour and respect, as it commemorates sacred events in honor of important figures of the Sunni Muslim religion.
In October and among the popular festivities of Morocco, we can attend the Date Festival. This celebration takes place in Erfoud every 17 October, and coincides with the harvest of this fruit. There are dances and traditional music, and of course stalls with small sweets made from dates.On the other hand, we must remember that, according to the lunar calendar, October is the month of Ramadan. During this month, Moroccans fulfil the tradition of fasting from sunrise to sunset.
Special days & occasion in Morocco as well as holy-months.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran is believed to be revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.However, Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset
Eid al-Fitr : is a religious holiday in the Islamic tradition . It signifies the celebration of the end of Ramadan and covers the first three days of Shawwal . The night before the first day of this festival is also considered particularly auspicious. Early in the morning, the community as a whole performs different prayers and celebrates a breakfast that marks the end of the fast of the most important month for the Islamic world .
Eid al-Adha is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Ismail) as an act of obedience to God's command. Before Abraham could sacrifice his son, however, God provided him with a lamb which he was supposed to kill in his son's place because of his willingness to sacrifice his own son in the name of God. In commemoration of this intervention, animals are ritually sacrificed
