Askas Igudan 2973.. Significance of celebrating the Amazigh New Year
In the midst of the debates that accompany every year the celebrations of the Amazigh New Year, most of which are shrouded in ambiguity and mistreatment with what it provokes from convulsive reactions from this or that party, we decided to republish this article, which was previously published years ago, because we see that it still retains Its evidence, and we have updated it to keep pace with new developments.
The Moroccan Amazighs, like the rest of their brothers in North Africa (Tamazga) and the Amazigh diaspora, celebrate the arrival of the Amazigh New Year, which falls this year 2973 according to the Amazigh calendar, where the conqueror of January coincides with the Amazigh January 14 of the Julian calendar, although many activists of the Amazigh movement take the 13th January as the beginning of January of the Amazigh year, coordinated in that with some of the brothers in Algeria (however, some historical studies related to the calendar confirm that the beginning of January in the Amazighs falls on January 14 according to the Gregorian calendar. In this regard, see Bouayad’s daily regarding the agricultural calendar in Morocco)…
The names of the night of the celebration of the Amazigh New Year differ according to the regions, as some call it “Eid Skas” (Night of the Year) or “Tabort n Oskas” (Gate of the Year), while others call it Hakuza or January.
The manifestations of celebrating this event also differ, whether with regard to the rituals and beliefs associated with it or the colors and shapes of the food prepared on the occasion, according to the different regions and the types of crops produced in them, such as grains, vegetables, etc., which are mostly united by the Amazigh’s connection to the land as a source of life and its continuity through the kinds of good and yields that it gives. For human…
In parallel with the manifestations of celebration and joy that characterize this occasion, the people of North Africa excel in preparing various dishes that derive their ingredients from the agricultural products that characterize each region, with the predominance of grains and legumes in most of them as a symbolic indication of the richness of the crops of the year, and the hope for an agricultural season full of giving and fruits. Among the types of dishes prepared on this occasion, we find “Orchimen” or “Cherchem Beans” or “Churchma” or “Seven Vegetables”, then “Takla” or porridge, and couscous with chicken.
Also, “Amnisi n Janayyar” is distinguished by choosing a happy or lucky one (Anbarak, or Tanbarket), and he / she is the one who finds while eating an “aghurmi”, “snug” or the kernel of a date grain that is hidden in the dish prepared on this occasion..
The celebration of this event is found by some as a kind of exaggeration and intolerance on the part of the Amazighs, and there are those who go so far as to say that this celebration was made up and was invented by the Amazighs, where some of the extremists go to the extent of considering it heresy and misguidance, as is the case with some Salafi sheikhs..
The fact is that this celebration is considered one of the manifestations of the ancient Amazigh culture and civilization, which dates back to more than 3000 years, according to historical documents, archeology and available anthropological evidence.
In order to refute these allegations, which fall within the framework of fighting everything related to the Amazigh culture and civilization, they must be reminded that this celebration is what is termed in all regions of North Africa as the “Peasant Year”, which is celebrated by everyone, whether they speak Amazigh or not. No, and it is associated with Amazigh because the inhabitants of this land are Amazigh and its civilization is Amazigh, even if this was obscured and an attempt was made to dry up the sources of this civilization and forcibly dissolve them into incoming cultures and civilizations, and the evidence for this is that this celebration is limited exclusively to the North African region, with some appearances on the other side of the sea The Mediterranean in view of the similarity of the climate and the convergence of seasons and agricultural seasons, as well as the relationship of influence and vulnerability among the peoples of the Mediterranean region.
As for the calculation of this calendar and its beginnings, the matter goes back mainly to the year 1980, which is the year in which Ammar al-Nikadi, or al-Shawi, issued the first daily after researching the history of the Amazighs, where the choice fell on a pivotal year, which is 950 BC, which is the year that defined the formation of the family The Twenty-Second Pharaonic After Shishong I was able to ascend the Pharaonic throne, and form the same family, (his rule began in the year 945 BC, according to specialists, and not 950, as I thought, and the author of the first daily in 1980), and the Nakadi daily began on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar, as the first day of The days of the agricultural year, not January 13 or 14, as is the case later. (See the daily below).
This information is often ignored by those who wrote about the beginnings of using 950 BC as the beginning of dating, as they refer the matter to the sixties of the twentieth century with the militants of the Amazigh Academy “Akraw Amazigh”, which was supervised by Saud Muhannad Arab, which is a common mistake because they did not issue any journal in this regard Rather, they were calling for the celebration of the Amazigh New Year as a form of appropriation of the Amazigh history and civilization, and it must be recalled that the first author of the Amazigh daily was Ammar Al-Nakadi.
With regard to this family of 22 pharaohs, it should be noted that Shishonq I did not defeat Ramses III, as is erroneously circulated among some Amazigh circles, because Ramses III belongs to family 20, and his reign was between 1186 and 1154 BC, which is a much earlier period than the rule of Shishonq I. , which extended between 945 and 924 according to some specialists, which raises the question about the year 950 adopted by the “Akraw Amazigh” fighters as the beginning of the Amazigh calendar..
What is reliable is that the reign of Ramesses III witnessed several important events that had great effects on Egypt and its future. Shishonq the First, who was able before ascending the throne to obtain the honor of organizing a funeral ceremony for his father “Namart” during the reign of Pharaoh Syamon, whose armies were mostly made up of Amazighs, which historians saw as a title for the dominance of the Amazighs and the beginning of the great shift in the balance of power that will lead later To the accession of the Amazighs to the throne of the Pharaohs and their formation of the 22nd dynasty, whose rule extended from about 945 to 715 BC (and not 950 BC, as is common since the issuance of the first Amazigh daily in 1980).
Here, it must be noted that this historical event is not the beginning of the celebration of the Amazigh or peasant year, whose first beginnings are not exactly known, although anthropological and historical studies indicate that it extended far in the ancient history of North Africa.
The adoption of this date by the Amazigh cultural movement falls within the framework of the strategy of reviving and representing the Amazigh culture and civilization, and it is also a form of challenge and reluctance in the face of the exclusionary cultural policies adopted by the regimes in North African countries, after the evacuation of colonialism, towards everything that is Amazigh..
Among the demands raised by the Amazigh movement in Morocco since January 13, (the 14th in fact), which coincides with the light of January according to the Amazigh calendar, is a day off, like other national, international and religious holidays.A group of vigils and protest and cultural demonstrations were organized in a group of regions in Morocco, in order to recall the importance of the event and its connection to Moroccan culture and civilization, as all Moroccan families, whether they speak Tamazight or not, celebrate this occasion under different names, and the former Algerian President Bouteflika preempted Moroccan officials In this regard, January 12th in Algeria was declared a paid holiday, and we will not go into the details of the backgrounds and reasons that prompted Bouteflika, who is one of the fiercest opponents of Amazigh linguistic and cultural rights. However, we say that this recognition comes as the culmination of a long march of struggle and sacrifices made by the Amazigh movement, whether During the Bouteflika era (what was called the Black Spring or “Tafsut Tabarcant”, for example..) or before it (the events of the Amazigh Spring or “Tafsut Tamazight” for example..).) or before it (the events of the Amazigh Spring or “Tafsut Tamazight” for example..).) or before it (the events of the Amazigh Spring or “Tafsut Tamazight” for example..).
Celebrating the Amazigh New Year: Symbols and Significance
The history of peoples cannot be reduced to mere historical events and material facts. Every civilization or culture contains components of mythical, religious and cosmic dimensions that are closely linked to each other, allowing for the creation of an authentic vision of the world and man.
With the exception of Ibn Khaldun (who has Amazigh origins), who wrote in his introduction that the Amazighs have a set of things and issues that distinguish them and that confirm that God has endowed them with great kindness and care. Most of what was written about the Amazighs and about their history, civilization and culture was written by other peoples, whether they were invaders, colonizers, or dealing with them in the framework of commercial exchanges.
The richness that characterizes Amazigh culture and civilization has become threatened by oblivion and extinction, given that everything we have learned about this heritage was oral through poetry, proverbs and tales. The Amazighs have become required to write their own history and to re-consider what distinguishes them culturally and civilized.
Among the things in which researchers and those interested in Amazigh history differed are the rituals of celebrating the Amazigh year, or what is called in Morocco the peasant year.
Most historians remind us that North Africa entered history with the arrival of the Phoenicians to its shores, at the end of the twelfth century BC, but others, such as Victor Pique, who says in his book “North African Civilizations,” “The Libyans (Amazighs) had a civilization and industry Since the fourteenth century BC, hereditary monarchy has been a tradition for them, and they have made very profitable alliances with the peoples of the islands, and with the Tyrrhenians in particular.
The relations of the Libyans or the Amazighs with the pharaohs go back to the first Pharaonic dynasty, or the “Tenissian”, around 3300 BC. M.
And during the reign of the 19th dynasty, and especially during the reign of the Ménoptah, around 1232-1224 BC, the pharaohs repelled an attack by the Libyans /Amazighs, with whom the “Sea Peoples” allied themselves. However, the steadfastness and will of the Amazighs eventually overcame the Egyptian resistance in the year 950 BC (945 BC according to contemporary studies) when Chéchang 1er (a Libyan/Amazigh) seized the Nile Delta and established the 22nd Amazigh family, which Egypt ruled nearly two centuries.
Another interpretation confirms that there were conflicts and battles between the Amazighs of the East (present-day Libya) and the pharaohs on the eastern borders of Libya, and the Libyan / Amazigh tribes were able every time to defeat the army of Pharaonic Egypt and occupy its territories. After bloody battles between the two armies, the two peoples decided to put an end to these conflicts.
It is likely by most researchers that Sheshonq was able to reach the Pharaonic chair peacefully in turbulent circumstances in ancient Egypt, where the ancient pharaohs sought his help against the turmoil after the chaos that prevailed in ancient Egypt due to the growing authority of the Theban seers (relative to Thebes).
Some sources say that when the Libyans entered Egypt and established the 22nd family there, they immortalized in their own traditions the celebration of the Amazigh or peasant year as we call it in North Africa.
It is noteworthy that the people of North Africa celebrate this New Year under many names: January, Hakouzah, Id Skas, Taborn Naynar... and some rituals related to farming and agriculture are held in it as an expression of the Amazigh man’s connection to the land as a symbol of motherhood and giving, and this event is celebrated on the night of the twelfth of January According to the Gregorian calendar, since January 1 of the Amazigh year falls on the thirteenth day of this calendar.
There are some associations that celebrate it on January 12, especially in Algeria, and on January 13 in Morocco, but some historical studies related to the calendar confirm that the conqueror of January in the Amazighs corresponds to January 14 according to the Gregorian calendar, which is what the specialized “daily Bouayad” reports every year. In the agricultural calendar in Morocco, just as the Amazighs in Chaouia in Algeria do the same thing, unlike the brothers in the Kabylie region who celebrate it on January 12 of the Gregorian calendar.
And if the Amazighs in North Africa have always celebrated and immortalized this event by carrying out a set of rituals and manifestations that differ from one region to another and according to the reality and the social milieu of each side of Tamazgha, then it is certain that the beginning of linking this celebration to the date of Sheshonq’s entry into Egypt and his founding of the 22Amazigh family, is due To the year 1980, which is the year of writing the first Amazigh daily, after years of celebrating the Amazigh New Year at the initiative of the friends of “Basoud Muhannad Arab” in the “Amazigh Academy” in Paris, which was founded in the mid-sixties of the last century, and asking them to date from the “Chechensic era.”
Many activists of the Amazigh movement agreed that the first person to put a daily in the Amazigh calendar was the late Ammar al-Nikadi, known as Ammar al-Shawi, who died on December 2, 2009 in Paris. After that, this practice spread among the activists of the Amazigh movement to be circulated to all Amazigh cultural associations in the countries of Tamazgha and “ Diaspora".
Thus, the militants of the Amazigh movement were able to reconcile with the history of North Africa by merging the ancient historical event (the founding of the 22nd Amazigh dynasty in Egypt), with the traditions and customs associated with the land and which are part of the identity and culture of this people (the celebration of the land), in the crucible of political and cultural demands that It is among the goals claimed by the Amazigh movement in North Africa.
And if the celebration of the Amazigh year has a festive character that aims to celebrate the land and everything associated with it as a source of life and a resource for giving, with the associated anthropological dimensions, then this celebration is an occasion and a pretext in order to express the legitimate demands of the Amazighs and to ensure that this event is exploited every year in view of Because of its symbolic and historical connotations in order to direct political messages, signals and appeals to the responsible official departments in order to respond to the demands of the Amazigh movement, of which identity and language are one of its pillars.
Some special dishes are prepared for this occasion, as an expression of the importance of January as a holiday to celebrate the land because of its tender life elements. Thus, some residents prepare couscous with rooster meat and a variety of vegetables (sabaa vegetables, sweet peppers), especially in the southeast and the region of Fakik. In the evening, “Orchimen” soup is prepared (which is the origin of the calories that we eat during the month of Ramadan) in which all kinds of crops of that year are cooked. of grains, and families carry out some well-known traditions such as applying henna to children and so on, according to their cultural and social specificities...
The “kernel” of dates is included in the meal of “seven vegetables”, and the person who finds it is considered “blessed” and auspicious, and the keys to the “store” are given to him as an anticipation of hope In a future where the next agricultural season will be prosperous and rich.
The Amazighs are striving to present all their bounties during these days (January 11, 12, 13), as there is no room for stinginess and stinginess in these moments when generosity must be expressed in order to draw the sympathy of nature in the coming season.
There are some regions that prepare various dishes such as “takla”, “oftein” (harira with chickpeas, beans and beans), Ashbada, Tigrifin, and Agag (juice)..etc.
The houses are painted and dyed and all the old utensils are changed. It is advisable to change the position of the kanun or the stove (anyan) in order to expel the misfortune or “down”, and the works and works must be stopped as “usta” or the weaving… A broom (Uzzu) is placed on every roof of the house to prevent “Bad luck and bad luck” ..
There are some regions that celebrate the Amazigh New Year’s Eve by holding an “Ayrad Carnival” or a “Lion Celebration”, which is similar to what children do in the southeast of Morocco, especially among the “Ait Izdak” tribes with feathers, where they celebrate Ashura with what is called “Busira”. In which the Amazigh traditions are mixed with Judaism and some ancient rituals, and it is somewhat similar to the so-called “Oday Nachort” in the Guelmima region, or “Belmaun” in Sous and “Sabaa Boubtain” in some Moroccan regions..
That is “Amenzu n Janayyar” or the first day of January, and it marks the entry of the new agricultural year in which we hope that the Amazigh language will receive the care and re-consideration it deserves.. Happy New Year..
Askas Amino "2973" Igodan..
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