SAEED EID MUBARAK (Happy and Blessed Eid)

Ramadan just ended and Eid al-Fitr, the joyful celebration marking the end of Ramadan's fast is being celebrated worldwide today, March 20, 2026!

If you had told me 5 years ago that I would travel to Morocco multiple times in just a few years and known anything about Islam (beyond the basics), I would not have believed it. In full transparency, I still don't know THAT much...but I DO know about Eid al-Fitr because I've actually been invited to an Eid celebration while traveling in Morocco with friends in the spring of 2024.

Here's how that happened...

Long story short, in the fall of 2023 after a family trip to Portugal and Spain, I extended my travels for 10 days and met a friend in Morocco for a bucket list trip that I'd been dreaming about for at least 10 years.

I returned from Moroccan so enamored and intrigued, I knew I needed to return. And because my husband wasn't able (or excited) to join me, he suggested that I plan a trip for a few girlfriends instead.

As things go (at least for me!), I planned THREE trips with THREE different groups of women friends because "why not?"

And then this happened:

After travel dates were set for my first trip in April 2024, my guide Iddriss told me that we would be arriving at the tail end of Ramadan. I knew Ramadan involved dawn-dusk fasting, but literally nothing else. I had planned this entire trip, recruited friends, and given NO THOUGHT to the Islamic religious calendar and what it would mean to travel to a Muslim country during a month of fasting!

For instance, I didn't realize that the usual bustling markets I experienced on my first trip would be virtually empty until late afternoon/early evening and I didn't know that some of my favorite shops would be closed or a few other things.

So I did what I do best: I researched and was delighted to learn what comes AFTER Ramadan - Eid al-Fitr - the joyful celebration marking the end of Ramadan's fast. So I decided to figure out when Eid was happening and if we could find a public festival to observe and participate in.

After determining that we would "most likely" be in the famous blue city Chefchaouen, I reached out to Anouar, a young shopkeeper I'd met the fall before, to see if he could give me insight into a possible local festival we could attend if we were in his town on the day of Eid. Why "most likely"? Because the exact date of Eid is determined by moon sightings rather than a fixed calendar.

This is what happened next:

Anouar sweetly told me that Eid was a family celebration so we could not go to a public celebration. Instead he would like to invite us to his home to celebrate Eid with his family!

I protested - inviting six American women plus our guide for lunch? That was too much to ask! It wasn't a problem he assured me - his MOTHER would be happy to have us!

Oh my gosh! What an experience!

On the morning of Eid, Iddris arrived at our riad in Tangier to pick us up. We would be driving about 2 1/2 hours to the small mountain town of Chefchaouen where we would be spending the next few nights.

Iddriss arrived wearing his special Eid djellaba, a tunic worn by most Moroccan men.

During Eid, families dress in their favorite clothing, serve a beautiful meal and celebrate the end of Ramadan.

We arrived in Chefchaouen in the early afternoon with enough time to change before walking to Anouar's parent's home about 10 minutes away.

We saw many families out together and were greeted by Anouar's sister Imane when we arrived. She greeted us in the traditional way with kisses on each cheek. Anouar's mother, Asmaa greeted us and immediately invited us into her bedroom to choose a special kaftan to wear during the meal! What a special experience. My friend Amy wore Asmaa's wedding kaftan, a gorgeous hot pink silk kaftan with exquisite embroidery. I was already wearing a beautiful women's djellaba I had purchased when I traveled in Morocco the fall before.

We enjoyed visiting with Anouar, Imane (a college student getting her master's degree), Asmaa (and Arabic teacher) and Anouar's father (a French professor at a local college) before we sat down for lunch which started with a kettle of warm water to wash our hands before eating.

Moroccan's typically eat communally from the same dish, although we also had small plates to hold the many Moroccan salads, fresh-baked chicken pastilla, a delicious soup plus Moroccan cookies and a flan-type dessert. Of course there was mint tea, too! (a staple at every gathering).

After lunch we enjoyed visiting and looking through scrapbooks together before saying our whole-hearted thanks and goodbyes. We have new Moroccan friends and memories that will last a lifetime!

As we walked back to our riad, our hearts will filled with gratitude for the generosity and friendship we received. The whole experience still feels a little unbelievable two years later!

From guides and drivers to riad owners and shopkeepers, every Moroccan I've met has been kind, humble, and generous. Hospitality here isn't an act — it's a deeply rooted cultural tradition, and guests are welcomed with a warmth that often feels like family.

Authentic Moroccan generosity has made each of my trips extraordinary.

Moments like these don't happen by accident. Because they continue to happen...each and every trip.

They're also the reason I've made a Berber farmhouse lunch and tea with cave-dwelling Amazigh nomads a signature stop on the Southern Morocco tour I curate.

Join us. Epic Adventures Await...YOU.

Yallah! (Let's go)

Katherine