Yennayer Festival
The Amazigh new year, Yennayer, is traditionally celebrated on the eve of January 12 each year. This event is celebrated and experienced by the majority of North Africans with joy, conviviality and solidarity.
It is proven in history that nations and peoples all have temporal references and benchmarks: the Greeks with the Olympic Games of 776 BC, the Christians with the birth of Christ, the Muslims with the emigration of the prophet Mohamed from Mecca to Medina.
Of the different hypotheses put forward on the origin of Yennayer, the most plausible and widespread is the one which dates the origin of this celebration to the date 950 BC, the year during which Chechnaq (Chéchonq) led a battle against the pharaohs whom he defeated, thus establishing the 22nd dynasty of which he made himself king.
This date of symbolic significance constitutes the first year of the Amazigh calendar. A historical period which glorifies this people who, for their part, have a duty to remember. Yennayer also marks the beginning of the agrarian year which the populations celebrate with rites symbolizing fertility and joy.
The meal celebrating this occasion, called “Imensi n Yennayer” Couscous with chicken is a symbol which portends a rich and prosperous year.
The Amazigh New Year's Day, which is generally celebrated by tradition, nowadays goes beyond the traditional scope of the event to become a historical landmark for an entire people.
It is proven in history that nations and peoples all have temporal references and benchmarks: the Greeks with the Olympic Games of 776 BC, the Christians with the birth of Christ, the Muslims with the emigration of the prophet Mohamed from Mecca to Medina.
Of the different hypotheses put forward on the origin of Yennayer, the most plausible and widespread is the one which dates the origin of this celebration to the date 950 BC, the year during which Chechnaq (Chéchonq) led a battle against the pharaohs whom he defeated, thus establishing the 22nd dynasty of which he made himself king.
This date of symbolic significance constitutes the first year of the Amazigh calendar. A historical period which glorifies this people who, for their part, have a duty to remember. Yennayer also marks the beginning of the agrarian year which the populations celebrate with rites symbolizing fertility and joy.
The meal celebrating this occasion, called “Imensi n Yennayer” Couscous with chicken is a symbol which portends a rich and prosperous year.
The Amazigh New Year's Day, which is generally celebrated by tradition, nowadays goes beyond the traditional scope of the event to become a historical landmark for an entire people.