Moroccan culture is one exciting culture to discover. Moroccans are internationally known for being very friendly and obliging. They can do whatever it takes to help you find your route if you are lost, give you tips and information to make your trip comfortable, or chat and give you more insights about the local culture, which can be very different from the one in your country.

Moroccan Culture

Moroccan culture is quite open, and diversity is appreciated. However, being an Islamic country—the constitution clearly states that Islam is the official religion for Moroccans—it is essential to understand its impact on Morocco’s culture, traditions, and everyday life.

Here is practical information about the culture in Morocco and how it translates into local customs, Moroccan food, dating, religion, and so much more. 

Morocco’s Religion

Morocco’s religion, Islam, has a significant impact on the locals’ lifestyle. The Islamic calendar follows a lunar pattern that is different from the Western calendar, and because of that, religious celebration dates change every year. Consequently, if you plan to visit Morocco, it is essential to check if your scheduled dates will coincide with some religious celebrations.

Another essential thing to remember is that celebration dates are based on a lunar calendar, so the exact date won’t be official until one or two days before the actual date. Visiting during a religious celebration is possible and might be more interesting as accommodations tend to have more availability during these periods. The downside is that some shops and services can close a little earlier than expected, especially during Ramadan and Eid al Adha, which I will detail below.

Ramadan in Morocco

Ramadan is a month-long religious celebration held yearly in all Islamic countries, including Morocco.

Ramadan is dedicated to fasting from sunrise to sunset and focusing on spiritual and religious matters. Food, drinks, tobacco, and sexual thoughts are prohibited during fasting, making a deep impact on everyday life.

In fact, before sunset, most restaurants and cafés will be closed during Ramadan, and beaches will be mostly empty as they are associated with nudity. Besides, as fasting can be tiring, Moroccans prefer staying at home, praying, and resting.

Corporate schedules also adapt to Ramadan’s rhythm, changing from the classic 8 am-6 pm with a lunch break to 8 am-3 pm without interruption.

After sunset, the streets will revive as Moroccans head to the mosque to pray Tarawihe, a daily Ramadan prayer that can last for hours.

As you can imagine, Ramadan imposes a different rhythm on Moroccans’ lifestyles, so you might not be able to try some restaurants, for example – but many will still be open. Hammams and spas will also close mid-afternoon, so it’s always a good idea to plan ahead.

Eid Al Fitr in Morocco

Eid Al Fitr is a religious celebration following the last day of Ramadan. Eid Al Fitr means ‘celebration of eating’. While Ramadan is about fasting, Eid Al Fitr is about eating and enjoying life and culinary pleasures. Traditional Moroccan dishes, raisins, almonds, and pastries usually won’t leave Moroccan tables for the whole day. As Moroccans often celebrate Eid Al Fitr with relatives (visiting family is very encouraged by Islam), Moroccans often take three days off to rest and visit family members they haven’t seen in a long time.

During Eid Al Fitr, each family must donate to someone in need, called Fatra. The donation can be a certain amount of money or a certain quantity of wheat grains, as it was done in the past. Like with Ramadan, some restaurants and services might close or close sooner. If you’re in a famous touristy city like Marrakech, there are good chances that rhythm won’t be impacted much.

Eid Al Adha in Morocco

During Eid al Adha, each married Moroccan man must sacrifice a sheep once a year. The celebration lasts for a week or so, and again, as it is a family celebration, people spend most of their time visiting family members and enjoying Moroccan dishes made with sheep meat. 

The most important aspect of Eid Al Adha is that it represents sharing and generosity. According to Islam, a third of the sheep’s meat must be donated to a needy family, and many Moroccans donate more than that.

Moroccan People

Moroccan people are very interesting to watch and talk to. Two same-sex Moroccans greet each other with a handshake, followed by a kiss on each cheek, starting from the left. If the two people are really happy to meet, the greeting will start with a hug, followed by as many kisses as one likes. When I visit my father’s family near Fez, they show their happiness to see me by giving me at least 5 kisses on each cheek. 

When greetings concern two people of opposite sexes, it can go as far as a handshake. In this case, kissing or hugging is impossible unless the person greeted is a close family member. Besides, some Moroccans can be very strict with religion and think that handshaking with an opposite-sex person is a sin. That is why there will usually be a small waiting time to see if both people are okay with shaking hands. If one starts verbal greetings immediately, shaking hands is not an option.

Greeting verbally is another exciting aspect of Moroccan culture. Once the handshaking, hugging, and kisses are over, each person will ask questions about health, family, and plans. For some cultures, that can feel a bit intrusive, but in Morocco, it is a way to show that they care about each other. 

What to Wear in Morocco

Morocco is a conservative country where showing a lot of skin for women is not accepted, but it doesn’t mean that women need to cover up entirely. Headscarves, for example, are not mandatory, and wearing a basic sleeveless shirt or a midi skirt is possible. However, the local culture does not greatly appreciate showing much skin, deep decolletage, or curves. Balance will be essential here.

The way you dress in Morocco can impact your experience. You don’t need an extra budget to buy new clothes, as you probably already have all the essentials in your wardrobe. If you are looking for a simple guide and inspiration, check out my post about what to wear in Morocco for women and men.

Drinking Alcohol in Morocco

As Morocco is an Islamic country, drinking alcohol in Morocco is, in theory, illegal. There is also no drinking age. Before you close this page and run, let me give you the whole picture. This question needs a deeper answer, as it shows one of Morocco’s cultural contradictions.

Many Moroccans – men and women – drink alcohol very frequently, and some progressive cities, like Marrakesh and Agadir, are known internationally for their hectic nightlife. However, drinking alcohol remains taboo in Moroccan society. That is why most of the places where you can drink alcohol will either be located in places with a low concentration of locals (tourist and fancy restaurants, cafés, or hotels) or have smoked glass to protect clients’ private lives.

If you are looking for bars or nightclubs, there are different types, and each bar/nightclub will have its ambiance. The first kind is the bars where locals go, mostly Moroccan men. These bars are often hard to locate. Alcohol is very cheap there.

If you prefer places to party, head to touristic or fancy hotels or select nightclubs. The ambiance will be more festive, with a great music playlist and stunning decor. The prices will probably be aligned with the euro and dollar currencies.

If you want to buy alcohol in Morocco, most Moroccan supermarkets will sell it (interesting, right?). You will only have to look for it in the back of the supermarket, as it will never be openly displayed. 

Last but not least, never show your alcohol bottles in public. Always have them hidden in an opaque bag. And never show up drunk in public; you’ll get arrested.

Tipping Culture in Morocco

Knowing how to tip in Morocco is very important and can also impact your experience, especially if you don’t know the rules. The best solution is to have a combination of a 1-dirham piece (around 0.1 $), 5-dirhams piece (around 0.5 $), and 10-dirhams piece (around 1$) – pictured below – to be able to tip precisely. Let’s say you want to tip someone 5 dirhams, but your only change is 10 dirhams. It is highly possible that the person you give the 10 dirhams to will take all the money and go (It happened to me many times). So always have change on you.

 

 

 

Besides, the most acceptable tips range from 5 dirhams (0,5$) to 100 dirhams (10$), depending on the service provided and the difficulty of the task.

Another thing to remember is that some Moroccans might sometimes offer to help you with something, like carrying your luggage or accompanying you to your hotel if you get lost. In these cases, know it is very likely that the person offering the service will wait for your tipping once it is provided.  In case you don’t want to tip, just decline the offer by saying ‘’“La, shoukrane” (“No, thank you”).

Moroccan Hospitality and Food

Moroccans love inviting people they like to share a meal or something as casual as a traditional Moroccan mint tea with pastries. 

In Morocco, It is considered polite to bring something to the hosts. Traditionally, Moroccan people used to bring boxes of milk or sugar as these two ingredients are, in Moroccan culture, symbols of prosperity. While this is still the case for some special events like marriage celebrations, bringing traditional Moroccan pastries and candies to the children will perfectly do the job. But don’t bring wine, unless you know your host drinks.

Before eating, you might be handed a basin to wash your hands. Hold your hands over it while a kettle pours water. Once finished, dry your hands on the towel provided.

 

Moroccans eat from the same big plate they put in the center of the table. They also eat with their hands, but always immediately from the food triangle in front of them. It is considered impolite to get the food in front of someone else. And if you don’t know how to eat with your hands, ask for a fork or spoon.

The most popular dish served in Morocco is the tagine dish. A hearty, slow-cooked dish that can be made with red meat and poultry. fish or be vegetarian. It’s a balanced, healthy meal served in a Moroccan tagine pot. The tagine pot allows the flavors to develop and infuse the ingredients, making this dish one of the heartiest you can taste.

Moroccan mint tea is usually served in a beautiful Moroccan tea set, which features an artisanally engraved teapot and a matching tray. 

Moroccans will be very generous and feed you from the beginning until the end, as food and cooking are their primary love language and culture. If they see you are not eating enough, they will insist and get confused, thinking you didn’t like the food. It’s a lovely culture to experience and fully immerse yourself in. For many tourists, this way of living differs from what they experience daily, making a trip to Morocco inspiring and grounding. 

If you are visiting Morocco and part of your trip is in Marrakech, I highly recommend these Marrakech tours for a deeper immersion in Moroccan culture and for sharing moments with nomads and berbers in the Atlas Mountains and Moroccan desert.