Friday, April 2, 2021

Moroccan Jews Celebrate the End of Passover with Mimouna Festival

This weekend marks the end of Passover. In Israel this Shabbat is the last day of the holiday, and in the rest of the world Pesach ends on Sunday night.

If you're like us, you'll spend the night putting away Pesach dishes and restoring the kitchen to the way it was before five pound boxes of matza and all the other Passover stuff found its way into the house.

But Jews of Moroccan and North African origin have a fun way of ending the holiday by celebrating the Mimouna festival just as Passover ends, continuing into the next day. With singing, dancing, and a dazzling array of sweet pastries, it's catching on in Israel and spreading into mainstream Israeli culture.

In Morocco, neighbors travel to each other’s houses, and it is customary to leave all doors open to welcome any possible guests. Tables are laden with symbols to ensure a good year: blossoming spring flowers, fish for abundance and fertility, and dates sweetened with honey to inspire an equally sweet life. The next day, festivities continue with barbecues, picnics, and large gatherings.

Let's join a Mimouna festival that Israel TV reported on last year. We wish you a happy ending to the week of Pesach. We'll be observing two days of Yom Tov so Jewish Humor Central is taking a break until Monday when we'll be back with our usual mix, including a Joke to Start the Week.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

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