Ashura a children’s feast in Morocco from old agricultural rituals to nowaday’s entertainment Jean-Pierre Rossie
Children’s practices during ashura making dolls singing and playing music collecting gifts spraying water playing with fire children’s mascarade
Map of Morocco
Tiznit: a town center within old walls
Sidi Ifni: a small town on the Atlantic coast
Ikenwen: a village where old and new mix
women use this doll to ask for rain
girls create their version of this doll
children’s play during ashura
ashura dolls made with sheepbones
village girls still make their own dolls
also using plastic dolls they make dresses for
singing and making music for ashura
the younger one starts …
small drums: a traditional gift to children
together with the reed flute
local creativity and global toys
collecting gifts
spraying water
but now the toy is everywhere the same
the game remains
the ashura fires
making one’s own firework
the imashar mascarade of the young men
creating characters for the mascarade
being a bearded cyclist with goggles
or a wise old man
I am so proud with this mask my father made
PLAY, GAMES AND TOYS OF NORTH AFRICAN & SAHARAN CHILDREN