The celebration of the Amazigh New Year has recently gained additional importance as a means of establishing a vibrant cultural identity.

This tradition, rooted in ancient North African folk tales, revives the balance that man must strike with nature.

Starting today, Tuesday 12 January, the Berbers of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and parts of Egypt, as well as the diaspora, celebrate the Amazigh New Year, which they call "Yennayer".

2021 corresponds to the year 2971 in the Berber calendar.

The history of this celebration dates back to ancient times, and is rooted in popular tales and legends in North Africa, and is a revival of the link between the Berbers and the land on which they live, as well as the wealth and generosity of the land.

Therefore, January is a celebration of nature, agricultural life, renaissance and abundance, says writer Wisal Harris in a report published by the British "middleeasteye" website.

Amazigh singer Fatima Tabaemrant during the "Tiosi Edition" festival to celebrate "January" (French)

When is January celebrated?

January 12 marks the beginning of the festivities in Algeria, and the public holiday coincides with Tabworth Asegas on the same day.

While some Berber groups in Morocco and other places begin their celebrations tomorrow.

The Amazigh agricultural calendar begins on January 13, and is inspired by the Julian calendar (a calendar imposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, and entered into force in 45 BC, in an attempt to simulate the solar year and consists of 365.25 days divided into 12 months ) and was prevalent in North Africa during the period of Roman domination.

And "January" marks the beginning of the so-called "black nights", which last for 20 days, and it is one of the periods that record a record drop in temperatures.

The Amazigh New Year in Algeria is a national holiday (French)

What is the Amazigh calendar?

This calendar began to take official form in the sixties when the "Berber Academy", a Berber cultural association based in Paris, decided to start counting the Berber years from 950 BC.

The date was chosen to coincide with the ascension of Pharaoh Sheshenq I to the throne of Egypt.

Chishenq was a Berber of Libyan origin, and one of the most prominent Berber figures in the ancient history of North Africa.

Consequently, the Berbers see this date as a symbol of power and authority.

The writer shows that the Berber calendar was directly derived from the Julian calendar, which was used in Europe before the Gregorian calendar.

It became prevalent in North Africa to organize agricultural seasons.

A female citizen in traditional clothes during the celebration of the Amazigh New Year in the Mendes region, east of Algiers (French)

When did you celebrate January for the first time?

January celebrations date back to antiquity, but it is difficult to pinpoint an exact date.

Contrary to prevailing beliefs, the January celebrations have nothing to do with the pharaoh Sheshenq I, as the Berbers believe that the traditions preceded the arrival of the king.

Many legends and myths have been formed to explain the origin of the celebration, and one of the most popular fairy tales includes the story of a stubborn old lady.

The writer notes that in the Amazigh tradition, January originally consisted of only 30 days.

In the legends, an old woman is said to have defied the wrath of winter by taking her goats to graze on the last day of January, and after feeling humiliated this month by the woman's arrogance, he borrowed an extra day from February, and imposed a frigid night on the old woman in retaliation.

This allegory expresses the importance of living in harmony with nature, and the need for patience and caution.

In a region known for its cold winters and hot summers, North Africans faced daunting challenges in protecting their crops and health.

The Berbers are seizing the January celebration and pairing it with important events such as the wedding (French)

Who is celebrating?

January is celebrated by the Berbers, whose culture goes back to pre-Arab North Africa, in addition to the Arab communities in the Maghreb region, and in Egypt.

Some Arabs in Morocco and Algeria call it an "agricultural year".

The "January" celebrations became widely known due to the growing interest of North Africans in Berber culture and its origins.

How to prepare

January festivities center on family gatherings and joyful music.

Mothers interested in the party arrangements prepare a feast of traditional foods in preparation for the celebration.

It became customary to wear traditional Amazigh costumes and jewelry for this occasion.

In keeping with the values ​​of renewal and life, January has become an occasion to celebrate important life events such as weddings, circumcisions and a child's first haircut.

In some regions of Algeria, January celebrations extend for 3 days.

The family gathers daily for a festive meal, usually semolina porridge on the first day, couscous with 7 vegetables on the second day, and chicken on the third day.

People give their New Year's best wishes with phrases such as: "Asgas amgaz" or "January amrfo (Happy New Year)".

Berbers are waiting for their wedding near the village of Imilchil in the high Atlas Mountains in central Morocco (French)

The symbolism of the celebrations

January reminds us of living in harmony with nature despite its ability to create life-threatening conditions, such as torrential rain, hail and the constant threat of famine.

In order to face these difficulties, the ancient Berber peoples deified nature.

But these religious beliefs changed with the arrival of Jewish religions such as Christianity, and Islam later to North Africa, but the custom of celebration has continued to this day.

Legend has it that whoever eats to the full on January will have a year free from famine or poverty.

Families also express their wealth by cooking couscous with 7 vegetables and 7 different spices.

In the past, each family member had to eat a chicken alone to the point of satiation, a guarantee of fullness and prosperity for an entire year.

It is also a tradition for women to take some of the crumbs and scatter it outside for insects and birds, a symbolic move to make sure no creature is left hungry on a January day.

What do people eat?

As is the case in most North African occasions, couscous is not missed at dinner tables, as are sweets, and pies (also known as sfinge).

Feasts in Algeria include serving the Tmina dish, a sweet made of roasted semolina mixed with butter and honey, and decorated with cinnamon in the traditional way.

Algerian Berbers prepare traditional food for their New Year celebration (French)

January and governments

In 2018, Algeria became the first North African country to make January a national holiday, in an effort to recognize the country's Berber culture.

But the rest of the North African countries did not recognize this occasion.

Does Corona affect the celebrations?

This year's January festivities will be affected by the pandemic, forcing North Africans to avoid large family gatherings, as well as street celebrations.

In recent years, Algerian schools have sought to publicize the value of January by performing plays and choirs in the Berber language.

But this year, such events will be canceled out of respect for efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The January celebration aims to adapt to the cruelty of nature and celebrate the human ability to survive and thrive despite all the hardships it faces.

So, the pandemic may give us one more reason to be grateful for staying alive and celebrating.