Yennayer

Yennayer is the first month of the Amazigh Year, and has been used since antiquity by the Imazighen in North Africa. 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 14 January every year. The Amazigh calendar was created in 1980 by , a Paris-based Algerian scholar. He chose 943 BC, the year in which the Amazigh Shoshenq I ascended to the throne of Egypt, as the first year of the Amazigh calendar.
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. The first official celebration of Yennayer as a public holiday in Algeria took place on 12 January 2018. On 3 May 2023, King Mohammed VI of Morocco declared the Amazigh New Year as a national public holiday in Morocco.
Origins
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, choosing a significant historical event in the Amazigh people's history as the zero point of the calendar. He selected the year 950 BC, which corresponded to the date when the Berber king Shoshenq I (ⵛⵛⵏⵈ) ascended to the throne of Egypt, founding the XXII Dynasty which ruled over Egypt until 715 BC. This Berber king successfully unified Egypt and later invaded Judah, allegedly seizing the treasures of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem in 926 BC. This date is mentioned in the Bible and is considered the first written record of Berber history.
Although King Sheshonq is referred to as Sésaq and Shishaq (שִׁישַׁק) in ancient Hebrew in the Bible, this version is subject to debate. Some sources suggest an alternative explanation for the origin of Yennayer, attributing it to a tradition celebrating the beginning of olive harvesting, though this claim lacks supporting evidence.
Names and Etymology
According to one theory, Yennayer means first month, deriving from Amazigh, Yan = One and Ayyur = month. However, because the Julian Berber calendar uses Latin-derived names for all the other months like most European languages, it is more likely that it derives from Latin Januarius, and is cognate to English "January", Italian gennaio, Spanish enero, and Maltese jannar, and it being derived from yan ayyur is a folk etymology.
Yennayer has several popular names that can differ by region such as id seggas or haguza in Morocco.
Celebration
Yennayer is very widespread in the Maghreb and is considered as national celebration. The Berber year 2973 corresponds to the present year 2023. It is a public holiday in Algeria and Morocco. The celebration of the holiday is marked by various rituals and customs that vary across different Berber communities.
One 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.
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.
Bibliography
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
Berber calendar
Mawsim
References
Public holidays in Algeria
Berber culture
Algerian culture
January observances
Festivals in Algeria
Public holidays in Morocco
Moroccan culture
Festivals in Morocco