Tunisians celebrate the New Hijri Year in style

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TUNISIAONLINENEWS- Throughout the Arab world and Muslim communities, the New Hijri Year’s Day is celebrated with much enthusiasm and passion. It is one of the Islamic feast events in the annual calendar of most of the Arab countries. In Tunisia, people eagerly wait for this day and celebrate it with great fervor.
The excitement among Tunisians during the New Hijri Year celebrations is palpable. It is one of the finest celebrations to gather families and bring them together around yummy meals such as “Mloukhia”: a mixture of beef or lamb stew with bay leaves which produces thick green gravy that has a mucilaginous texture.

Cooking “Mloukhia” during the first day of the year comes from a superstition that Tunisians have embraced along centuries. With “Mloukhia”, Tunisians start the year with the green color which is the color of fertility and prosperity.
“Couscous” is another famous dish cooked during the last day of the previous year. It is not the ordinary couscous as it should be cooked with dried meat (kadid), broad beans and chickpeas.
Tunisian cuisine bear influences of many civilizations who have ruled Tunisia like the Phoenician, Arab, Turkish, Roman, French as well as the native Berber. For that reason each part of the country has its own way to celebrate the New Hijri Year.