This year I had the very rare fortune to travel to Morocco during the beginning of Ramadan. Over the years I have met and became friends with quite a few Moroccans and for the past few years they have all told me not to come to Morocco during Ramadan. The reason they say this is because most of my friends in Morocco live in Marrakech and normally in the summer the temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius (that’s 104 Fahrenheit). Well this year I had the chance of travelling to Morocco in the beginning of June. I didn’t really know what to expect. On one hand, many people told me its so hot your going to suffer everyday you’re here. On the other hand, many of my Arab friends have always told me Ramadan in their countries is so wonderful compared to Canada. I could never understand why as I have lived in Canada for practically my entire life. Well despite my uncertainties, I decided to go and I’m glad I did. I will write another article recounting my experiencing in Morocco during Ramadan but right now I will focus on the title of article. Because of Ramadan most restaurants were closed so to break your fast at sunset you would have to prepare your meals at home. Preparing your meal at home meant eating at home as well, which for me meant watching TV.
Usually the hour or so before sunset I watched this show called Ramez tahta alard. It was a prank show where they would take celebrities into desert and drive them into quicksand. If that wasn’t bad enough, the host Ramez would dress up as a komodo dragon looking to eat the celebrities. While I was eating I would change to the channel 2MTV and watch this show called Alkhawa. The show was a sitcom revolving around a family living in Safi. Although I didn’t understand what they were saying, I found it very entertaining. The shows I watched during my stay in Morocco were only available during Ramadan. I found it interesting that shows were produced specifically for Ramadan because I never seen this before. It reminded me of Christmas as a child and watching all the cartoon Christmas specials. I guess this is just one of the things that makes Ramadan in Morocco special. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find these shows online, especially after Ramadan. Anyone visiting or not visiting Morocco who is interested in Arab or Moroccan culture, I highly suggest you try to find TV shows showing in Ramadan. I will be looking forward to these types of shows next year.