Morocco’s Souss region turns Eid into a rural homecoming

A socio historical study on Eid al Adha traditions in Morocco’s Souss region found that the holiday still functions as a major annual migration cycle, drawing thousands of families back from Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier and Marrakesh to ancestral villages in southern Morocco despite decades of urbanization and social change.

Researcher Redouane Hayane said the Eid return to “tamazirt,” or the native village, remains deeply embedded in Soussi identity and continues to structure social, economic and cultural life across the region.

The study found that the movement temporarily empties sectors in Morocco’s major cities traditionally dominated by Soussi workers and traders, while reviving economic and social activity in rural communities during the holiday period.

For many families, Eid has become one of the few moments in the year when dispersed relatives reunite physically around village homes, family land and collective rituals tied to sacrifice, hospitality and kinship.

The research also highlights the persistence of Amazigh cultural practices surrounding Eid in Souss, particularly Ahwach performances and the “Boujloud” folk ritual, where young men wearing animal skins parade through streets in carnival style celebrations following the sacrifice ritual.

While economic pressures and changing lifestyles have reduced travel among some younger generations, the study argues that Eid continues to act as a powerful mechanism preserving links between urban Soussis and their rural origins.

The researcher concluded that Eid in Souss has evolved into a broader social event where religion, migration, Amazigh heritage and family belonging intersect within a single annual homecoming.