The sugar stick

Samira el Kandoussi

For Moroccan journalist Samira el Kandoussi [27], tradition can be encompassed in the form of one person — her mother. “My mother can tell such beautiful stories. Behind every action she performs there’s a story.” One example of a tradition with a story behind it, says el Kandoussi, is the sugar stick. The oblong piece of sugar, wrapped in purple or red paper, has a striking resemblance to a large candle. “The sugar stick reminds me of everything that’s Moroccan. It is totally traditional.” The stick is given as a present on every conceivable occasion. At Moroccan weddings, the bride is overloaded with these sticks. “It is something festive, but you can also take it to a funeral. Sugar equals sweet, purity, pretty words, something cute and Islam, she explains. “Moroccans put a lot of sugar in their tea, so such a gift is always useful.” Besides the traditional meaning, the sugar stick also has another, special meaning for el Kandoussi: “When my mother was young, she sometimes had to attend weddings. As she came from a poor family, she borrowed clothes and jewellery from her neighbour or elder sister. The only thing she didn’t have was make up. To solve this problem, my mother used to wet the purple or red paper of the sugar with spit. She would then put the pigment on her cheeks as rouge.” The columnist says the tradition of giving sugar sticks will live forever. “The custom has existed for centuries. The tradition is too beautiful to throw away.” That is why there is always a sugar stick on her
cabinet, following her mother’s example. “Moroccan women always used to place all their sugar sticks on their cabinet. The more sugar, the better. The sugar stick is a precious treasure!”