Amazigh New Year returns in Morocco spotlighting identity and cultural diversity
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتسابMorocco is marking Amazigh New Year, known as "Yennayer", a cultural observance tied to the start of the agricultural year and typically celebrated between Jan. 12 and Jan. 14 depending on local traditions.
This year’s celebrations come amid a broader official framework supporting Amazigh visibility in public life. In May 2023, Morocco’s royal palace said the first day of the Amazigh year would become an official paid national holiday.
Morocco’s 2011 constitution also states that Tamazight is an official language of the state alongside Arabic.
Across the country, Yennayer is marked through community gatherings, traditional foods, and cultural programming, alongside public lectures and workshops that increasingly introduce the Tifinagh script used to write Amazigh.
In remarks carried by Morocco’s state news agency, Ahmed Boukous, rector of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture, described the Amazigh New Year as a “unique model” for managing cultural diversity and linguistic pluralism, adding that the official holiday status has given the occasion a broader national dimension.
He also pointed to progress in integrating Tamazight across education, media, culture, and public administration, while noting ongoing challenges in scaling implementation.
