Amazigh Activists Push for Official Recognition of ’Id Yennayer’ as Moroccan National Holiday

In its correspondence, the Amazigh Political Action Front wishes that "Id Yennayer" be recognized as a national holiday and that this day be a paid public holiday, like January 1st or the 1st of Muharram, reports the Arabic-language newspaper Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. The movement believes that this is feasible, given that many parliamentarians are defending this cause. As an illustration, the Amazigh representation highlights the recent signing by 143 deputies of a petition addressed to the government to recognize this national holiday.

For the activists, recognizing "Id Yennayer" is above all a concretization of the constitutional provisions, which enshrine Amazigh as an official language of the country alongside Arabic.

Every year, the celebration of the Amazigh New Year brings together several tens of Amazighs. In 2020, many of them celebrated the event in front of Parliament so that their grievance would be taken into account. In the eyes of the activists, "Id Yennayer" is not simply an annual celebration ritual, but an event that has both a symbolic and historical dimension in the imagination and identity of the Amazighs.