Lady Luck Mimuna

By Dr. Yigal Bin-Nun

Mimouna, the holiday of the Moroccan Jews, is a family celebration but also a happening that attracts a large number of politicians - a combination that has assured its legitimacy in Israel. The most common explanation for the origin of the holiday has to do with its name, which people try to anchor in a Jewish religious context. In Israel, the Mimouna has been linked to the birthday of Rabbi Maimon, the father of Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon), or portrayed as a festival of emuna (faith), because of the phonetic similarity between the words. Of course, there is a connection to redemption and the Exodus from Egypt because the holiday falls on the day after Passover ends. But, in fact, all these explanations are mistaken.

The Mimouna table offers a hint of the holiday's true origins. It is not set for a family dinner, as usual, but displays an array of symbols that are basically variations on a theme. On this table you will not find typical Moroccan cuisine. It is laden neither with meat dishes nor an assortment of salads. Instead, it is laid out with items, each of which is symbolic in some way: a live fish swimming in a bowl of water, five green fava beans wrapped in dough, five dates, five gold bracelets in a pastry bowl, dough pitted with five deep fingerprints, five silver coins, five pieces of gold or silver jewelry, a palm-shaped amulet, sweetmeats, milk and butter, white flour, yeast, honey, a variety of jams, a lump of sugar, stalks of wheat, plants, fig leaves, wildflowers and greens. All are symbols of bounty, fertility, luck, blessings and joy. The traditional holiday greeting fits right in: "Tarbakhu u-tsa'adu" - meaning, "May you have success and good luck."

Why is the table set this way? The answer can be found in the name of the holiday and in the songs traditionally sung on the day. The Arabic word mimoun means luck or good fortune. At the Mimouna celebrations, songs are sung in honor of "Lady