What is Eid al-Fitr like in Morocco?

Eid al-Fitr — Moroccans usually call it 'l'Aïd Sghir', the small Eid — is the burst of joy that ends a month of fasting. After the final night of Ramadan, the morning begins with a communal prayer; you will see streams of people in immaculate new djellabas and caftans heading to mosques and open prayer grounds at first light. There is a giddiness in the air, the relief and pride of having completed Ramadan together.

Before the prayer, families pay zakat al-fitr, a charitable donation that ensures even the poorest can celebrate — it is a built-in act of generosity that I find quietly moving. Then the day turns to food and family. After a month of eating only after dark, the simple act of a daytime breakfast becomes a celebration in itself, and tables groan with cookies: kaab el ghazal (gazelle horns), ghriba, fekkas, all washed down with endless mint tea.

The next two or three days are a marathon of visiting. Moroccans go from house to house — grandparents first, then aunts, uncles, neighbours — and at every stop more sweets and tea appear. Children are the big winners: they receive new clothes and 'l'Eidiya', small gifts of money pressed into their hands by every adult relative. I love watching kids race around in stiff new outfits clutching their growing fortune.

For travellers, Eid is largely a private, family affair rather than a public street festival, so some shops and restaurants close for a day or two — worth planning around. But the warmth spills outward easily. If you are staying in a riad or with a host, you may well be offered a plate of Eid cookies, and the right thing to say is 'Eid Mubarak'. Accepting that hospitality, even briefly, lets you share in one of the happiest days of the Moroccan year.