Jews all over the world observe Passover, a weeklong spring holiday that celebrates liberation from bondage. For some, when the holiday is over, the party continues -- with Mimouna! During Passover, it's traditional to avoid leavened foods made with flour, such as bread and cake, but Mimouna is an opportunity to bring all those delicious, doughy foods back to the table with a big feast! This special meal often features moufleta, a delicious kind of pancake It's also a chance to invite new friends to the table, too and practice the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests.
Learn
For many, the day after Passover is an ordinary day - that is unless you're Moroccan and Jewish. Jews settled in Morocco soon after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, and the population grew substantially after the Spanish Inquisition, when many Sephardim (Jews of Spanish and Portuguese descent) moved to North Africa and elsewhere. After the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, many Moroccan Jews immigrated to Israel. Only a handful of Jews live in Morocco today, but the rich culture of the Moroccan Jewish community still thrives -- and so does the joyous “return-to-dough” celebration of Mimouna.
Learn more about Mimouna and one Moroccan Jewish family in the adorable picture book, A Sweet Meeting On Mimouna Night by Allison Ofanansky.
Make
Learn to make moufleta, the specialty pancake-like dessert of Mimouna with chef Jamie Geller or try out creating salt-dough flowers with your family.
Make Moufleta
video via Jewlish by Jamie
Craft Salt-Dough Flowers
This is a special activity that accompanies the PJ Library book, A Sweet Meeting On Mimouna Night.
Supplies:
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup salt
- ¾ cups water
- Large bowl
- Wax paper
Preparation:
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
- When a sticky dough forms, turn it onto a lightly floured countertop and knead it until it's smooth. Divide your dough into small balls and press them flat into circles.
- On a piece of wax paper, arrange the circles into a wreath, overlapping them slightly, and then press another circle into the center.
- Use a pencil or skewer to press little holes into the center to create “seeds."
Watch
Experience the sights and sounds of Mimouna with these videos:
Mimouna: The beautiful celebration marking the end of Pesach via World Jewish Congress
Enjoying Mimouna via Shalom Sesame
More
Celebrating Mimouna and Its Dose of Post-Passover Carbs via the New York Times
Mimouna: A Post-Passover Celebration via My Jewish Learning
Mimouna, a Unique Moroccan Jewish Tradition via URJ.org
March 9, 2022