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Yennayer[a] is the first month of the Berber calendar. The first day of Yennayer corresponds to the first day of January in the Julian Calendar, which is shifted thirteen days compared to the Gregorian calendar, thus falling on 12 January every year. The Berber calendar was created in 1980 by Ammar Negadi, a Paris-based Algerian scholar.[1] He chose 943 BC, the year in which the Meshwesh Shoshenq I ascended to the throne of Egypt, as the first year of the Berber calendar.[1][2]
| Yennayer | |
|---|---|
 Three Berber calendars, all of them refer to the Shoshenq era (Gregorian + 950). | |
| Official name | Aseggwas Amaziɣ |
| Also called | Berber New Year |
| Observed by |  Algeria Morocco Tunisia Libya Egypt (Siwa Oasis) |
| Type | Cultural |
| Begins | 12 January |
| Ends | 14 January |
| Date | 12 January |
There is some debate about the traditional date of Yennayer, with some cultural associations advocating for its celebration on the evening of 13 January, which is widespread in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and the Canary Islands.
On 27 December 2017, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika officially recognized Yennayer as a public holiday to be celebrated on 12 January every year.[3] The first official celebration of Yennayer as a public holiday in Algeria took place on 12 January 2018.[4] On 3 May 2023, King Mohammed VI of Morocco declared the Berber New Year as a national public holiday in Morocco.[5][6]
Origins
edit
The Berber Academy was established with the intention of recognizing Yennayer as the "Amazigh New Year," based on the longstanding tradition of North Africans celebrating the event each year. In 1980, Ammar Negadi proposed the creation of a Berber calendar.[7]
Names and Etymology
editYennayer is said to be composed of two Berber words: yan, meaning "the number one," and ayyur, meaning "month" with yennayer signifying "the first month".[8][9][10]
Yennayer has several popular names that can differ by region such as id seggas (Moroccan Arabic: إيض سڭاس) or haguza (Moroccan Arabic: حاڭوزة) in Morocco.[11]
Celebration
editOne of the most significant aspects of Yennayer is the preparation of a special meal, which is hearty and different from everyday ones. The Kabyle people of Algeria, for example, use the meat of the sacrificed animal (asfel) to complement couscous. In the Sous region of southern Morocco, participants enjoy dishes such as tagula, made of barley with smen and argan oil, and berkukes, a dish prepared with vegetables and pasta in the form of grains.[11]
In addition to the meal, Yennayer is also a time for exchanging wishes for prosperity and symbolizes longevity. It is often marked by other significant events such as the first hair cut for little boys, marriage under the good omen of Yennayer, and agricultural initiation rites where Berber children are sent to pick fruits and vegetables from the farm themselves. The rites performed during Yennayer are done in a symbolic manner and aim to eliminate famine, augur the future and change, and warmly welcome the invisible forces that Berbers believed in.[12]
Bibliography
edit- Encyclopaedia Universalis. France S.A. 1989.
- Paul Couderc. Le calendrier. P.U.F. Que sais-je. no 203
- Jean Servier. Tradition et civilisation berbères. "Les portes de l’année". Éditions du Rocher. août 1985
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Arabic: ينّاير; Berber languages: Yennayer; Berber languages: ⵢⵏⵏⴰⵢⵔ or Berber languages: ⵉⴹ ⵏ ⵉⵏⵏⴰⵢⵔ
References
edit- ^ a b Aidi, Hisham. "An unlikely celebration of North Africa diversity". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Happy 2968! Berber New Year becomes holiday in Algeria". France 24. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "Algeria sets Berber New Year as public holiday". Middle East Monitor. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
- ^ "L'Algérie fête officiellement le Nouvel An berbère pour la première fois". Le Monde.fr (in French). 12 January 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "الملك محمد السادس يعلن رأس السنة الأمازيغية عطلة رسمية مؤدى عنها". Hespress.com (in Arabic). 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ "Communiqué du Cabinet Royal | MapNews". www.mapnews.ma. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ "Ammar Negadi, ce symbole amazigh de l'Aurès authentique".
- ^ "Que signifie " Yennayer ", le Nouvel An berbère ? – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). 24 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ Zmirli, Amayas (12 January 2018). "Algérie - Yennayer : le nouvel an berbère change de dimension". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "Au fait, c'est quoi Yennayer ?". TSA (in French). 28 December 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ a b ""إيض يناير".. رأس السنة الأمازيغية في المغرب تتحدى كورونا" [id yennayer, the Amazigh New Year in Morocco defies corona]. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "هذا ما يجب أن تعرفه عن رأس السنة الأمازيغية ينّاير" [this what you need to know about Yennayer] (in Arabic). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.