Morocco: Celebrating the New Year, Part 2 · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

In my last post, I looked at Moroccan bloggers’ wishes for 2008.   Here is another look at the blogoma's hopes and dreams for the new year.
Everything Morocco wishes a Happy New Year while sharing a bit of insight into how to keep warm in Fez:
Happy New Year! It was a sunny last day of 2007 in Morocco. There is music in the street tonight and all is well in this part of the world.
It's cold in Fez tonight, too, but nowhere near as frigid as those January eves in the northeastern U. S. Still, it's cold enough that it requires a bit of strategy to stay comfortable – especially when half of the roof over your head is an open sky-well. I have a retractable awning that keeps out most of the cold while still allowing the interior of the house to ‘breathe’, so it isn't as bad as winters past. But, heating is very expensive here because the houses are not built to be energy efficient in that respect and the building material of the house cannot be warmed up anyway.
Connie in Morocco also had a chilly start to the new year:
A NEW YEAR, AND WHAT a way to start it. Woke up in the middle of night to discover no electricity. There has been no (cold) running water since yesterday afternoon. (I've learned to store up water for times like this)
Ghasbouba chose to ring in the new year with an illustration rather than words
Braveheart does the Maghreb starts off with a positive message for readers:
I wish a year full of adventure and discovery for all my lovely readers.
Even though I don’t believe that time is linear, I think the calendar new year affords the opportunity to reevaluate. I do believe that regret and guilt can not only make your life unhappy, but actually shorten it. If we live every day with a sense of the possible, I think we can ‘repair’ the yesterdays. Regret nothing, for even if it was a ‘bad’ decision, it brought you to where you are today. We learn something from each turn in the road don’t we, and how can we regret that? If you are not where you want to be today, start toward your goal – there is always enough time because it is the journey where we learn, not the destination. Anything is possible because if you change your mind, you change matter – that is a scientific truth. What you think is what you are.
In another post, the blogger shares lovely photos of kasbah streets following Eid al-Adha:
Maryam of My Marrakesh shares some photos and a positive message:
Wishing you all a 2008 that is lived at risk because you decide to pursue your dreams, rather than just dreaming them….
Finally, xoussef shares his wishes for the new year:
2007 finally comes to its end. An insipid year leaving me a lot of regrets.
Many resolutions i know i won't keep, many hopes to keep alive.
Happy new year to everyone :)