Ahidous (said like a-hey-doos) is a special dance in which Moroccans participate any time they want to celebrate something. This dance originates from the Indigenous North African people called Amazight, or Berber. It is a dance where everyone joins in, so it is the perfect way to celebrate as a group.
I first learned about the traditional dance called "Ahidous" at a wedding that I attended. Everyone who was there joined hands and stepped to the beat of the drums and sang along to a song that I could not understand. This traditional dance is a practice of the native Amazight North African people, and the dance name means "free man" in their language. Since I first learned it, I have been able to dance with my community many times at different parties.
Most people in my community are Amazight meaning that their ancestors were native Moroccans rather than people who moved to Morocco from somewhere else. Because of this many people here speak Tamazight instead of Arabic, have traditional face tattoos, cook traditional foods, and celebrate with this special dance. My community uses the dance to celebrate both big events like weddings or welcoming new babies, as well as smaller things like the end of a school year or field day.
