April 1, 2013
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MiMouNa!
Guess what? Today is our first day back to school! AND it’s the sixth day of the counting of the Omer (cuz we do it right after breakfast). AND it’s the last day of sugarbushing… the trees were trickling off, yesterday. But it’s ALSO the cusp another big feast day for us! Starting at sunset tonight, we have our Mimouna! I didn’t know about this until this year, and only because we were watching our Shalom Sesame (Jewish Sesame Street) video on Pesach, and they had a segment on Mimouna. Of course I had NOTHING else to go on, so it took a little research, but we are DEFINITELY adding this to our line-up of fun celebrations!
According to Wikipedia:
Mimouna is a traditional North African Jewish celebration held the day after Passover. It marks the start of spring and the return to eating chametz (i.e., leavened bread and bread by-products) which are forbidden throughout the week of Passover.The celebration begins after nightfall on the last day of Passover. In many communities, non-Jewish neighbors sell bread products back to Jewish families as a beginning of the celebration. …Jews throw open their homes to visitors, after setting out a lavish spread of traditional holiday cakes and sweetmeats. The table is also laid with various symbols of luck and fertility, with an emphasis on the number “5,” such as five pieces of gold jewelry or five beans arranged on a leaf of pastry. In Israel, the Mimouna has become a popular annual happening featuring outdoor parties, picnics and BBQs. …In 1966, it was introduced as a national holiday …
More than that, I also just read this on Chabad:
On the eve of the seventh day after the Exodus, the Children of Israel found themselves trapped between the Egyptian army and cavalry pursuing them from behind and the waters of the Red Sea before them. G-d commanded Moses: “Speak to the Children of Israel, that they should move forward!” Nachshon ben Aminadav of the tribe of Judah was the first to jump into the sea; the water split, and “the children of Israel walked across on the dry land in the midst of the sea.” All that night, a pillar of fire intervened between the Egyptians and the Israelites. When the Egyptians followed, the waters returned to their natural state and place and drowned them. The Children of Israel sang the “Song at the Sea” in praise and gratitude to G-d. Split Your Sea: www.chabad.org/355840&sc=fb
So not only is it the last day of abstaining from chametz, it’s also a celebration of joy because the sea opened up and Yehovah delivered the people!
In other words, we made it seven days with no yummies… now we can bring them back and EAT!!! AND, today Israel reached the Red Sea, were delivered with miraculous intervention and great joy… let’s EAT!! It reminds me of that t-shirt… have you seen it? It says ‘The Short Version of Every Jewish Feast: 1.) They tried to kill us. 2.) We won. 3.) Let’s eat! I would personally make ‘Let’s eat’ number four and insert a number three that says “Praise Ha’Shem!!” But that’s me.
So Mimouna actually started in Morrocco… where they bought a TON of pastries, candies, cookies, brownies, cakes… LOTS of goodies, and invited all of their friends and family over, with much music, dancing, laughing, and sweets! It’s a fun way to bring the chametz (leavened food) back into the house. In fact, it was so fun, that all across Israel, people started adopting this practice, just because it was such a joyful way to bring back the chametz, and now pretty much everyone in Israel gets into this, from what I read.Brian *REALLY* wants monster cookies. I was thumbing through a recipe book my Grandma Fern gave me a few months ago, and saw a recipe for monster cookies, and he’s wanted them, ever since. And I woke up thinking… “I should make them for mimouna!” But if we’re not to have chametz in the house until sunset, how could I? How could the Jews who hold a mimouna? Well… now I know. They use other people who don’t keep Pesach. And y’know, isn’t that a great way
to bring your beliefs out and teach someone about Torah observance, too? I’m just sayin…! So I’m not going to be baking, today – we need milk and shredded cheddar, anyhow, so I’ll just run up and get cookies at the store. There’s a market nearby that makes KILLER double chocolate chocolate chip cookies, and M&M cookies… it’ll be fun.And… here’s where I make a confession. I didn’t know baking powder is a leavening agent. I knew baking SODA was, but not baking powder. So my friend Ellen gave out a recipe this week, and I saw that it didn’t have baking soda or self-rising flour in it, so I tried it with the kids. Isaac and Aaron made a cherry version, and Lydia and Ethan did the blueberry version. And it ROSE in the oven… I was horrified. So I had the kids quickly run the baking soda and two desserts OUT of my house… and they’ve been waiting, for such a mimouna as this! ((Don’t laugh. You know I’m blonde… and I’m still learning. Always learning.)) So… with cookies and these *accidental* desserts? I think we’ll be all set!
Comments (8)
That’s what makes it so hard – tortillas use baking powder. So….no enchiladas, burritos or soft tacos here. That’s HARD…..tortilla CHIPS are OK, so nachos have been on the menu. And hard tacos (corn tortillas, for some reason use NO leavening. I can’t figure it out….
Totally a curiosity question – don’t need a response if you don’t feel it’s appropriate… how do your kids react at times like this (throwing the cookies out). Do they complain (like mine would ha) or just take it in stride knowing how you feel & are teaching them about it?
@fiberaddict - That’s interesting about the tortillas. I have been really observing others this past week who have removed the leavening and almost all of them have their homes stocked with tortillas as they alternative! Do you suppose there are some that are not made with leavening?
I don’t throw food away. The Bible says you have to a) not eat anything leavened, and b) remove it from your home [aka, where you live]. So I take it all out to the camper. We don’t eat it, we don’t have it in our home… but we don’t waste, either.
Corn tortillas are obviously not leavened. Flour is the problem. But you *can* make them from scratched unleavened… if you’re ambitious. I just bought (corn) hard-shell tacos and called it good. Besides, there are a LOT of options. Chinese is unleavened. Hashbrown casserole, steak or pot roast with potatoes, fried chicken with baked beans, soup-n-matza, omelets… there’s NOT a problem. My kids had a ball – they got to eat cereal (I don’t serve it, typically – too sugary) and oatmeal with raisins and syrup, and all sorts of stuff.
We see it as an adventure. And bringing the leavened food back in is just as big an adventure. And how better to teach them spiritual principles than with all of these physical activities? :dance:
@carmenblack1 - we looked at all the different brands here – ALL the flour ones listed either “leavening” or “sodium bicarbonate” – which is baking powder. The corn ones, however, don’t. I’m not sure why they use leavening – tortillas are flat.
As are saltine crackers….which also list leavening in the ingredient list. So…we’ve been noshing on potato chips, fries, and hash browns. Not the healthiest of diets….but at least it’s all unleavened.
Anna, I don’t do Chinese…too many bad memories of my mom screwing up dinner again.
There’s a LOT of unleavened stuff to eat, so we don’t feel limited….I just have to be creative.
And….I lost 4 pounds, so it’s proof to me that bread is Bad for Me. :sigh: I need to keep this in mind….because I need to lose…a few more pounds. :rofl:
We have not been eating much this week anyhow. But potatoes, meat, salad, fruit, eggs, cheese, oatmeal – all good.
I fully endorse this celebration!!! (OH MY GOODNESS this makes me hungry-and it is after midnight-Ugh! Hahaha!)