Mimouna is a festival of foods celebrated by Moroccan Jews. In Israel, it is celebrated on the immediate end of Passover (which officially ends in the evening) and then continues the following day. I’ve been to a Mimouna party and can safely tell you that this is one little holiday that will leave you bloated at the end of the evening…
Hospitality is a big factor behind Mimouna, and it’s not just about the food. Moroccan Jews leave their doors open to all and everybody is welcome to join in the celebrations. There is no formal invitation sent out as such, it’s more of an open event where anybody you know who is of Moroccan descent will probably be off to a Mimouna party and be more than happy to have you tag along.
Lots of yummy Moroccan food is of course prepared, including sweets, cakes and cookies, and of course, the legendary mufleta, a large crepe with all the trimmings; chocolate sauce, cream, honey, dates and even more. Each guest chooses his/her own topping combinations. The mufleta really is the food to eat at any Mimouna celebration and is often the source of pride for many a Moroccan family. But don’t worry, it really is quite tasty, so you won’t have to lie about how it tastes!
If you’re really lucky, your invite might even include a session helping out with making the mufleta – there’s usually plenty of work involved, but enjoy it, and grab a freebie along the way!
On the following day (the day of the Mimouna itself) you can usually see groups of families out in the parks having a barbecue, and dressed up in their Moroccan kaftans and fez hats, quite possibly boogieing to some Moroccan tunes.
Below is a video of a rather big Mimouna party.