Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-02-29 02:45:00
The president of Zanadranavalona, Alain Eddie Ravelonarivo, confirmed that the Taom-baovaon’ny Merina will be from April 9 to 11.
Every defender of Malagasy culture has their own interpretation regarding the date of the Malagasy New Year; April 9 respecting Alahamady, March 11 interpreting the moon, and September 6 for the beginning of Lohantaona.
The Malagasy New Year, designated as “the Malagasy New Year,” is an occasion for festivities and rituals filled with symbolism. However, there are persistent discrepancies regarding the exact date of this celebration. Each royal lineage, heir to the ancient Malagasy kingdoms, presents its own arguments to justify its chosen date for celebration.
The Zanadranavalona of Anosimanjaka, descendants of King Ralambo, observe the Taom-baovao from February 9 to 11. “We have been celebrating this Malagasy New Year for 449 years, as we are the heirs of Ralambo, and we continue to celebrate it every year. The calendar consists of 12 months, starting with Alahamady and ending with Alohotsy. That’s why we begin the year with Alahamady, so it’s the Taom-baovao for the Merina culture,” explains Alain Eddie Ravelonarivo, president of Zanadranavalona Anosimanjaka.
On the other hand, the “Committee for Celebrating the Malagasy New Year” (KMTM) opts for September 6, a date symbolizing the beginning of the “Lohantaona” season, marking the renewal of nature and the start of the year.
Other Versions
Some royal descendants choose to base the celebration of the Malagasy New Year on the interpretation of lunar cycles, setting the date to March 11. Meanwhile, the Famailahy association prefers April 9, following the Alimanaka calendar, corresponding to “Tsinan’ny Alahamady.” This diversity of dates has recently prompted some defenders of Malagasy tradition to request the official recognition of two dates for the Malagasy New Year, which are March 11 and September 6. They have argued for these days to be designated as public holidays in Madagascar. The date chosen by the Zanadranavalona generally coincides with the end of Ramadan, already a public holiday. According to President Alain Eddie Ravelonarivo, “The Taom-baovao of Zanadranavalona coincides with the end of Ramadan, which is already a public holiday, so there is no problem.”
The Zanadranavalona have decided to withdraw from the KMTM, although they were one of the founding members of this committee since its establishment. President Alain Eddie Ravelonarivo explains: “We were not aware of the existence of this date for Lohantaona Taom-baovao while we were members. No discussion took place with us before this celebration date was made public. Therefore, we decided to leave the committee in order to better preserve our culture, that of our king Ralambo.” The KMTM has not reacted to this decision and continues to respect and celebrate the Lohantaona Taom-baovao as planned.
Read the original article(French) on lexpress.mg
