If you’re looking for a different way to celebrate New Year’s Eve, somewhere without the classic Western tradition of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new one, I’m ready to give you all my tips for spending the New Year holidays in Morocco in a way that’s both carefree and enriching.
New Year’s in Morocco: customs and traditions
Morocco isn’t one of the classic New Year’s destinations recommended by the most famous travel guides. But that’s exactly why it’s the ideal place for anyone who wants a few days’ break from work or daily routine, even just to relax in a traditional hammam or stay somewhere unusual.
The reason Morocco is such an unconventional New Year’s destination is that in Islamic countries, what we think of as New Year’s Day doesn’t fall on the same date: Morocco’s religious holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar rather than our Gregorian one. So if you want to escape the usual celebrations back home, in Morocco you’ll find plenty of other festivals to enjoy, without having to dance the conga or pop the bubbly at midnight.
In the days leading up to the end of the year, you won’t feel the typical New Year’s buzz the way we know it in the West, but Moroccans certainly don’t hold back when it comes to recreating the festive atmosphere we’re used to. Especially in Morocco’s biggest cities, like Marrakech, Casablanca, Tangier, Essaouira and Fez, tourists and Moroccans pour into the streets, squares and bars to celebrate the arrival of the new year together.
Some hotels, riads and restaurants also offer New Year’s Eve dinners, where you’ll surely find some traditional Moroccan dishes, along with an evening of music and dancing.
New Year’s in Morocco: weather and what to wear
But let’s start with some practical information. What kind of weather will you find when you arrive in Morocco for New Year’s? Temperatures are usually pleasant during the day, even on a December–January trip to Morocco. But of course it will be colder in the evening and early morning. If there’s snow in the High Atlas mountains or a spell of bad weather, it will be colder, just as it would be in Europe.
So my advice on packing for your trip to Morocco is always the same: comfortable clothes and closed shoes, a few warm layers and something cooler and lighter, plus a scarf or foulard.
But if you want a truly intense experience and plan to spend a night in the Moroccan desert, I recommend bringing thermal wear, a windbreaker, wool socks and sweaters. On winter nights, desert temperatures can drop to freezing or below, but don’t worry: the camp tents are well equipped to get you comfortably through the night.
New Year’s in Morocco: what to do
Fascinating and adventurous all year round, Morocco is a magical destination over the New Year period too. Of course, you won’t find the imperial cities decked out for Christmas, since Morocco is a Muslim country, but the main tourist destinations get organized so visitors can celebrate in style.
A Moroccan New Year’s will be an unusual one, but it will let you enjoy a completely relaxing experience and immerse yourself in Berber culture and the grandeur of the imperial cities.
Marrakech at New Year’s, for example, is a very welcoming city with plenty to do. Its cultural and architectural heritage will leave you speechless, and in Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, the city’s largest, you can watch dance shows and street performances, and wander among the stalls, the traditional craft workshops, the ceramics sellers and the street vendors.
The Red City is hectic, dynamic and inviting all at once. Now very touristy, it has lots of Western-style restaurants and nightclubs, so it’s a great place to celebrate, especially for younger travelers. At midnight, Marrakech puts on one of the best fireworks displays in the country.
If you want to get even closer to Moroccan culture, must-see stops in Marrakech include the Majorelle Garden, the souks and the Medina. A city where Western and Eastern cultures meet, creating a truly unique, magical atmosphere.
For the night, I recommend booking a riad inside the Medina and letting yourself be wrapped in an exotic, relaxing setting.
If you want to plan a New Year’s getaway for two in Morocco and you love nature, I suggest spending New Year’s Eve in the desert. There’s nothing more romantic than welcoming the new year under the magic of the stars, far from the city lights, immersed in one of the most intense, otherworldly atmospheres in the world. A natural spectacle no ticket could ever put a price on.
Of course, you’ll have to spend the night in a tent and wake up very early to admire the stunning sunrise over the dunes of the Moroccan desert, then take a walk among the dunes or a camel ride. There you can enjoy a New Year’s Day lunch of bread baked in the sand, prune tagine, mint tea and Moroccan cookies.
Finally, for travelers who want a different kind of New Year’s, I can only recommend the town of Essaouira, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. In January the atmosphere there is much more relaxed than in the summer months, letting you fully enjoy its breathtaking scenery.
Lisa
