Recently, the celebration of the Amazigh New Year has gained additional importance as a means of establishing a vibrant cultural identity.
This tradition, rooted in ancient North African folk tales, pays homage to the balance that man must strike with nature.
Starting today, Tuesday, January 12, the Berbers of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and parts of Egypt, as well as the diaspora, celebrate the Berber New Year, which they call "Yennayer".
2022 corresponds to the year 2972 of the Amazigh calendar.
The history of this celebration dates back to ancient times, and it is rooted in the folk tales and legends of 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 considered a celebration of nature, agricultural life, renaissance, and abundance, as writer Wissal Harris says in a report published by the British "MiddleeastEye" website.
Amazigh singer Fatima Tabemrant 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 the Tabworth Asigas event on the same day.
While some Amazigh groups in Morocco and elsewhere start their celebrations tomorrow.
The Amazigh agricultural calendar begins on January 13, and it is inspired by the Julian calendar (a calendar imposed by Julius Caesar in the year 46 BC, and entered into force in the year 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.
"January" coincides with the beginning of what is known as the "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 an 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.
Sheshang was a Berber of Libyan origin, and he is one of the most prominent Berber figures in the ancient history of North Africa.
Thus, the Berbers see this date as symbolizing strength and power.
The writer shows that the Amazigh calendar was derived directly from the Julian calendar, which was used in Europe before the Gregorian calendar.
And it became prevalent in North Africa to organize the agricultural seasons.
A citizen in traditional clothes during the celebration of the Amazigh New Year in the Mendes region, east of the capital, Algiers (French)
When did you celebrate Benayer for the first time?
January celebrations date back to ancient times, but it is difficult to pinpoint an exact date.
Contrary to prevailing beliefs, January celebrations have nothing to do with Pharaoh Sheshonq I, as the Berbers believe that traditions preceded the arrival of the king.
Many myths and legends have been formed to explain the origin of the celebration, and one of the most common fairy tales involves the story of a stubborn old lady.
The author notes that in the Berber tradition, January was originally composed of only 30 days.
In legends it is said that an old woman defied the wrath of winter by taking her goats to graze during the last day of January, and this month, offended by the woman's arrogance, borrowed an extra day from February and imposed a very cold 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 very cold winters and hot summers, North Africans faced daunting challenges in protecting their crops and their health.
The Berbers have come to seize the January celebration and associate it with important events such as the wedding (French)
Who celebrates?
The Berbers celebrate Pinayre, whose culture dates 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 Amazigh culture and its origins.
How to prepare
January celebrations focus on family gatherings and enjoying joyful music.
The mothers, who are concerned about the ceremony, prepare a feast of traditional foods in preparation for the celebration.
It has become customary to wear traditional Berber costumes and jewelry for this occasion.
Keeping pace with the values of renewal and life, January has become an occasion to celebrate important life events such as wedding, circumcision, and the 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 the first day, couscous with 7 vegetables the second day, and chicken the third day.
People give their best wishes for the New Year with phrases such as: "Asgas Amgaz" or "Yan Amerfo (Happy New Year)".
Berbers are waiting for their wedding ceremony near the village of Imilchil in the high Atlas Mountains in central Morocco (French)
The symbolism of the festivities
January is reminded of living in harmony with nature despite its ability to create life-threatening conditions, such as heavy rain, hail, and the constant threat of famine.
To face these difficulties, the ancient Berber peoples deified nature.
However, these religious beliefs changed with the arrival of Jewish religions such as Christianity, and Islam later to North Africa, but the habit of celebrating has continued to this day.
Legend has it that whoever eats his fill on January will have a year free from famine or poverty.
Families also express their abundance of wealth by cooking couscous with 7 vegetables and 7 different spices.
In the past, each member of the family had to eat a chicken alone to the point of satiety, which indicated 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 them outside for the insects and birds, a symbolic gesture to ensure that 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 absent from the dinner tables, as are sweets and pies (also known as sfinj).
Feasts in Algeria include the presentation of the Tamina dish, which is sweet made from roasted semolina mixed with butter and honey, and decorated with cinnamon in the traditional way.
Algerian Berber women prepare traditional food on the occasion of their celebration of the New Year (French)
Jan and governments
In 2018, Algeria became the first North African country to make January a national holiday, in an effort to acknowledge the country's Amazigh culture.
But the rest of the northern countries of the continent did not recognize this occasion.
Does Corona affect the celebrations?
January festivities this year 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 make known the value of January by presenting plays and choirs in the Amazigh language.
This year, however, such events will be canceled out of respect for efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The celebration of January aims to cope with the harshness of nature and celebrate the human ability to survive and thrive despite all the hardships it faces.
Therefore, the pandemic may give us one more reason to be grateful for being alive and to celebrate.