MOROCCO     Research Project

SCHOOL LIFE

All children in Morocco are required by law to participate in schooling from age 6-15 years old. Most children living in Urban, or city areas at this age do attend school, but the level of participation drops significantly when looking at the nation overall.  An estimated 75% of males in the age group participate in schooling, and only about 50% of females in this age group participate in schooling. These numbers decrease noticeably in rural areas. Only a little more than half of these students move on to secondary schooling.  Ever less  continue for a higher education.

PRETEEN TEEN SOCIAL LIFE

The social lives of teens in Morocco consists of watching and playing sports, as well as hanging out at places in the city, such as the city of Casablanca, which has cinemas, restaurants, and shopping in boutiques, or in an outdoor market called the souk. (At a souk, many vendors sell a variety of items, including foods, supplies for arts and crafts, and imported goods).  On weekends, many families indulge in lots of time at the beach, swimming, playing games, eating, and enjoying the day. Sports are overall one of the biggest parts of youth entertainment. Most sports in Morocco were equestrian-based, but have evolved into more modern activities such as football (soccer), polo, tennis, and competitive swimming. Kids and teens also just socialize while around people, or out in public.

COMMON / TRADITIONAL FOODS

Lots of the most common foods in Morocco are made with meats, like fish, lamb, and fowl. B’stillah for example is a traditional food and a national delicacy is a pastry that has pigeon meat baked into it. Fruits of all kinds and vegetables such as peppers, eggplants, and onions are eaten and are used in dishes.  Another traditional food that would be found in Morocco is bread, as well as couscous, a pasta served in a hearty meat stew, and Harira, a thick lamb stew that is served to mark the end of fasting during Ramadan. Bread carries a deep cultural meaning but is mainly known as a common food appearing in meals daily. Some other common dishes are kabobs, salads and soups. Mint tea is the national drink of Morocco.

POPULAR MUSIC/ ARTISTS/ ACTORS

A large part of Morocco’s culture consists of their music, art, and theater. Music is made using instruments like the flute, the shawm, the zither, many short necked lutes, and the darbūkka (A terracotta drum). Popular musicians include the Master Musicians of Jajouka, and Hassan Hakmoun, but the younger Moroccans tend to enjoy raï, an Algerian plain-speaking music style influenced by the sounds of Western rock, Jamaican reggae and other music from Egypt and Morocco.  Writers like Mohammad Choukri, Abdallah Laroui, Abdelfattah Kilitu, and many others publish their works in English and French. Others such as Pierre Loti and Paul Bowles draw attention to works from Moroccan writers as well as to Morocco itself. Moroccan theaters show both Moroccan and French dramas, and art festivals take place throughout the entire country during the warmer parts of the year.

RELIGION

In Morocco the most common religion is Islam, which is the official religion of Morocco. Jews were a large minority of Moroccan religion until the founding of Israel, and the conflict between the Arabs and the Israeli, leading to most of them leaving Morocco. The majority of Moroccans are Sunni Muslims of the Mālikī rite.  The Alawite dynasty has ruled since the 17th century and claims that they are the descendants of Prophet Muhammad. The royal family is highly respected by the Moroccan Muslims because of their lineage. Some other religions in Morocco are Sufism and Judaism, but the numbers are very little compared to the overall Muslim population. The law mandates freedom of religion but there are very little non-muslims living in Morocco.

COMING OF AGE TRADITIONS

Moroccan rituals mainly revolve around the growing and changing of a person and their journey, performed during major stages of life, such as birth and marriage. Blood is almost always related to these rituals, like for example, blood, or bloodshed might symbolize a successful transition. One of the most important coming of age traditions would be performed in the event of marriage, and the ritual would consist of the carrying of the bride to her bridegroom's in a kind of square-shaped cage made from wood with a pointed roof. This represents the bride’s first step towards becoming a married woman. Another way that blood plays a part in coming of age tradition is in the case of the actual wedding. Before a wedding, a sheep or a bull is slaughtered, and this bloodshed is supposed to symbolize the beginning of a new chapter in one’s life. Many Moroccan rituals involve bloodshed and its relation to the stepping stones of life; the moments or periods of time that one’s major life events occur.

CUSTOMARY ATTIRE

The garments considered the most traditional and representative of Morocco are the djellaba and the kaftan. The djellaba can be described as a long, loose, hooded gown that covers the entire body other than the hands, feet, and head. Men typically only wear this garment on a special occasion, usually accompanied with a Moroccan red cap, also known as a tarbouche, and yellow leather slippers, known as baboush.  Women wear the djellaba as everyday attire, sometimes for special occasions, and might accompany it with a scarf wrapped around the head or neck. The kartan looks very similar but doesn’t have a hood, and is worn by women at special occasions like weddings. It is the garment a bride would wear on her wedding day, and is also worn under the takshita, which is another gown that is rather traditional. The kaftan however, is worn only inside the house, not out in public.

HOBBIES FOR PRE-TEENS/ TEENS IN MOROCCO

In Morocco, football is a big deal, with almost every household being adoring fans, even in homes with people from different backgrounds, and all different ages, so playing and watching the sport is sort of like a built-in hobby or trait. Another would be the weekly eating of couscous on Fridays after afternoon prayers. This food is always eaten with the family, and the meal will even be rescheduled to make sure this happens.  Another common custom is the drinking of mint tea, daily. This national favorite is drank at least once a day, no matter the time of day, or the time of year. Sometimes there is even a designated tea time, with pastries, dates, breads, and cakes before dinner, that is put together mainly when welcoming guests. A part of this custom is raising the teapot higher and higher to create bubbles in the tea.

SOURCES: INFO • Slide 3: Info: “Education of Morocco.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco/Education.  • Slide 5: Info: “Education of Morocco.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco/Education#ref46586.  • Slide 7: Info: “Education of Morocco.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco/Education#ref46586.  • Slide 9: Info: “Education of Morocco.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco/Education#ref46586.  • Slide 11: info: “Morocco - Climate.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/place/Morocco/Climate#ref46574. Accessed 26 Sept. 2022. • Slide 13: Info Staff Writer - Morocco World News. “On Rites and Rituals in Morocco.” https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/, www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/07/48857/on-rites-and-rituals-in-morocco. Accessed 26 Sept. 2022. • Slide 15: Info: Morocco.com. “Clothing in Morocco.” Morocco.com, 21 Dec. 2018, www.morocco.com/blog/clothing-in-morocco. • Slide 17: Info:  Jihad Dardar -  Morocco World News. “Lifestyle: 8 Habits and Customs Every Moroccan Understands.” https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/, www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/12/327877/lifestyle-8-habits-and-customs-every-moroccan-underst ands. Accessed 26 Sept. 2022.

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