The Amazigh new year was celebrated on the 19th of January, 2008 at the Cambridge YWCA. The attendance was fair (about 65 participants). A rich program was presented by the local Morrocan community that I would like to thank for its commitment. Credit is due to Mustapha Mahfoudi and Addi Ouadderrou who prepared the program for the evening.

The program included:
- A talk on the significance of Yennayer given by Mokhtar from Vermont,
- Ahwac, a traditional dance and songs from the the Atlas Mountains presented by a group led by Addi (Boston, MA),
- A fashion show of traditional Amazigh costumes from Algeria and Moroco. This show was presented by Addi,
- A Morrocan-Amazigh Rug was donated by Addi and auctioned for the benefit of ACAA,
-  Live Music by AZA, an Amazigh Morrocan group from California
-   A Morrocan couscous dinner 

Last but not least, the room was beautifully decorated with Amazigh arts and crafts. For this portion, our thanks go to Addi for his deidcation. Addi is a owner of a boutique of Morrocan craftsmanship in Somerville, MA. 

I would like to add that this event showed the possibility for our association to act truly as a Pan-Amazigh organization. It also showed the necessity to remobilize our community.   

Arezki Boudif

ACAA held Yennayer celebrations in Chicago, Boston and Somerset, NJ. All three locations have been relatively well attended. Members and their friends joined together in this yearly important cultural event that is designed to allow people to share food and their hopes for a prosperous new year. Yennayer is a tradition that goes far back in time, the proof of that is the date itself. January 12 corresponds to the eve of the Julian new year.

Yennayer is celebrated throughout Tamazgha and in many other parts of the world. In Tamazgha, different regions give it a different flavor, but all with the central idea that Yennayer is the time to wish for abundance, and prosperity. In the US, we also hope to keep this tradition alive with our own flavor. In NJ, this year, all the children who attended received a goodies. One of the items in the bag is a handfull of dried fruits and nuts wrapped in a very shiny paper and attached with ribbons to the colors of the Amazigh flag. Giving kids dried fruits and nuts is part of Yennayer. This is still being done in some areas of Tamazgha.

Click on the file below to see the Yennayer flier and a document that describes what Yennayer is.

ennayer.pdf
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