A Saturday Thanksgiving in Morocco

A turkey in Morocco

We had to wait until Saturday, and our little group did not include all of the American Muslims in Marrakech, but we had our own Turkey Day here.   Why would we acknowledge a secular holiday like Thanksgiving Day in Morocco? The answer is simple: the food. 

Everyone who came brought something. I made the macaroni and cheese.  Our hostess made a 30 pound turkey. It was the biggest turkey I have ever seen. There were 2 chocolate cakes, apple crisp and pumpkin pie.  There was mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, salad, enormous dinner rolls, oranges, deviled eggs, Craisins (as close as we could get to cranberry sauce), and 3 kinds of soda.  

Thanks to the internet, the 4 guys watched the previously unseen (by them) Packers vs Lions football game on television. The 7 kids played outside.  It was about 73 degrees.  There were a couple of American Muslim women I met for the first time. There were 6 women in all. We spent about 3 hours getting to know each other and talking about cultural differences and similarities, healthcare, and education in both America and Morocco.

Any occasion, excuse or opportunity for us to be together, sharing the experiences and journeys that brought us to a live in a Muslim country is something to be thankful for.  Especially when the occasion involves stuffing.