By abbymarco
This weekend, I spent four days camping with Berber nomads in the High Atlas Mountains. These people do not speak any Arabic, but instead use a spoken language called Tamazight. They live in tiny huts with their tribes made of wood and tarp, and they move three times throughout the year depending on the weather. They do not use the Moroccan currency at all; instead, they trade sheep and other animals and homemade products for the goods they need. Before leaving for the trip, I was a little nervous about being able to communicate with my nomad hosts and was unsure of what to expect in terms of their lifestyle. However, the trip ended up being truly the most amazing experience I have ever had in my life. I think a huge part of what made the trip so amazing boiled down to one thing: Moroccan hospitality.
If I could take one custom from Morocco back to the U.S., it would without a doubt be the amazing Moroccan hospitality. No matter where I go in the country, I am always welcomed with open arms. I am offered delicious food, treats, and tea from people who have almost nothing. Locals offer genuine guidance when I seem lost or when I appear to be getting ripped off. It is not uncommon for a Moroccan to invite me to their home for dinner despite the fact that they just met me moments ago. As a whole, the Moroccan people are just so genuinely interested in other people and will go so far out of their way to make another person comfortable and happy. I had never really noticed it before, but this is not really something I see back home in the U.S. Most Americans are so wrapped up in their own lives that they do not usually take the time to talk to or help strangers simply because it is the right thing to do. At home, I would never be invited into someone’s home for tea and cookies simply because we engaged in friendly conversation for a few moments.
The hospitality I received in the nomad Berber village was shocking, but in a good way. Even though we could not speak even one word of the same language, the woman I stayed with went out of her way to welcome me into her humble home. She made a huge feast for me, gave me a beautiful kaftan to wear, covered me with warm blankets when I seemed cold, and even brushed and braided my hair for me! She proudly showed me around the village and introduced me to her friends and went out of her way to make me feel at home there.
When I reflect on my time here in Morocco, the true hospitality I have experienced here is the first thing that stands out in my mind. People truly care about one another and will go out of their way to make each other comfortable. If I could take one Moroccan custom home with me, it would certainly be this one.