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| Local vs. Global culture: a comparison between Achoura and Thanksgiving festivals |
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Local cultures will not be threatened by a dominant global culture as long as they are unique and constitute a reference to their nation’s heritage and popular background. One way to see that is by comparing festivals worldwide. For instance, the United States is considered as a melting pot combining different cultures in one society. Morocco is also home to many ethnicities from Amazigh and Arab people. Although Moroccan and American festivals share many common aspects, many differences exist between them, since festivals are first and foremost representative of the society in which they are celebrated. To illustrate this, I will try to contrast two festivals, the Moroccan Achoura and the American Thanksgiving, in order to investigate which aspects make them similar or different.
On one hand, the Achoura festival is celebrated by Moroccans the 10th day of Muharram, an Islamic month. Both the old and the young keenly await this occasion. It is also recommended by Hadith to fast the day before Achoura. Families meet to eat special meals and children enjoy fireworks, buying new toys, and playing traditional musical instruments such as “Tâarija drums”. In addition to celebrating with special meals, especially dried fruits like dates and couscous with dried mutton, families offer Zakat, which is a tenth of their annual money, to the poor. Zakat is one of Islam's four pillars. Also, children wear new clothes and adults dress in traditional Moroccan clothes such as Jellaba and Jabadour. During the festival of Achoura, children pursue their celebration in the streets, excited about “Zem Zem,” the big day that comes after the festival and marks its end. During the whole day, children enjoy spraying water at their peers and everyone walking in the street.
On the other hand, Thanksgiving is a festival that celebrates the feast that united the Native Americans and the Puritans. When the Puritans came over from England, they did not know how to grow crops in America’s climate. In a kind act, the Natives had a feast and taught the Puritans how to survive. Hence, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving today by gathering as a family, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and American Football on television. The festival is also marked by heavy emphasis on eating special Thanksgiving foods such as turkey, mashed potatoes and others that vary from family to family.
By contrasting Achoura and Thanksgiving, one can notice many similarities that both festivals share. The first common aspect is that both festivals are religious in origin. As mentioned before, Achoura is the 10th day of a Muslim month and families have to give Zakat to the poor, and Thanksgiving is a festival where people express thanks to God for their material possessions and charitable food drives are organized to collect Thanksgiving food for the needy people.
Moreover, both festivals emphasize eating large meals and traditional food. Another social common aspect is the gathering of the family members at home, which is meant for networking and strengthening the ties that bind them.
In addition, both festivals have a special day that follows it. For Americans, Black Friday is an occasion to go for shopping and buy gifts to their friends and families, and for Moroccans, especially children, “Zem Zem” is an opportunity to enjoy spraying water at everybody.
However, there are aspects that Achoura and Thanksgiving do not share. For instance, no parade is associated with Achoura, whereas Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade constitutes one of Thanksgiving’s main celebrations. Also, Black Friday symbolises the start of another festival which is Christmas, whereas “Zem Zem” is considered to be the end of the Achoura festival and does not introduce any further festivals.
Also, shopping is different in both festivals. During the whole Achoura, only children enjoy receiving toys and traditional musical instruments from their parents and families. Yet, Thanksgiving dedicates one day, Back Friday, to do shopping for every family member, not only for children, and it symbolizes the start of the Christmas shopping season.
Moreover, Thanksgiving celebrations in general include alcohol drinking, which is something forbidden in Achoura especially since it is a Muslim festival.
Therefore, as long as festivals are exclusively representative of their society and are respected and perpetuated by its people, global culture will not be a threat for local cultures.
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Nellyzou
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