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

Yennayer is the first month of the Berber calendar (Berber languages: Aseggwas Amaziɣ, ⴰⵙⴳⴳⵯⴰⵙ ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ, Arabic: ينّاير), and has been used since antiquity by the Berbers in North Africa.^{[citation needed]} 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 [fr], 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]

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

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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] choosing a significant historical event in the Berber 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Names and Etymology

According to one theory, Yennayer means first month, deriving from Berber languages, Yan = One and Ayyur = month.^[8][9][10] 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^{[citation needed]}.

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

Yennayer is very widespread in the Maghreb and is considered as national celebration. The Berber year 2974 corresponds to the present year 2024. 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[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]