January 12th - Yennayer - Amazigh New Year

Yennayer, the celebration of the Amazigh (Berber) new year will take place on January 12th. 2018. The day heralds in the year 2968

Yennayer is a word composed of two Amazigh words; yen (yan) which means number 1 and ayer (ayur) which means month. So yennayer means the first month.

It was Ammar Negadi who created a Berber calendar in 1980, based on a landmark event in the history of the Amazigh people, an undeniable historical fact to make it the zero point of the calendar. His choice fell on the year 950 BC, which corresponds to the date when the Berber king Sheshonq I (also spelled Chichnaq or Chichneq) was enthroned Pharaoh of Egypt and founded the XXIInd Dynasty which reigned over Egypt until the year 715 BC. This Berber king had managed to unify Egypt and then invade Palestine. It is said of him that he seized the treasures of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem in 926 BC. This date is mentioned in the Bible and would be, therefore, the first date of Berber history on a written support. King Sheshonq is mentioned in the Bible under the name of Sésaq and Shishaq (שִׁישַׁק) in ancient Hebrew.

And the Algerians are joining the party

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced Wednesday his decision to consecrate Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year, as a paid holiday on January 12, 2018.

It was a long-standing claim of the Amazigh movement, both in Morocco and Algeria. The new year, Yennayer, is celebrated every year on January 12, and this will be for the first time in the history of our neighbours to the East.

The announcement was made by the Algerian Head of State Wednesday at the meeting of the Council of Ministers. "In presenting its best wishes to the Algerian people on the eve of the year 2018, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his decision to devote Yennayer day off work and paid as of January 12, the government being responsible for making the appropriate arrangements for this effect, "said a statement issued after the Council.

"This measure, like all those already taken to benefit our national identity in its triple Islamic, Arab and Amazigh component, will strengthen national unity and stability, while multiple internal and regional challenges challenge us," added President Bouteflika. , which "urged the government to spare no effort to generalize the teaching and use of Tamazight, in accordance with the letter and the spirit of the Constitution." The President of the Republic has also instructed the government to accelerate the preparation of the draft organic law for the creation of an Algerian Academy of the Amazigh language, "the statement said.

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