Happy Adyghe New Year!

Courtesy of Amjad Jaimoukha

March 22-- The Circassians (Adyghe) considered this day, when winter was over and summer began (ghere sch’ire schizexech’ maxwem; гъэрэ щIырэ щызэхэкI махуэм), as New Year’s Day. The ancient Circassians had only two seasons: winter (щIымахуэ) and summer (гъэмахуэ).



There were two festivals associated with the New Year: Maf’aschhetih (мафIащхьэтыхь; literally: ‘Hearth Sacrifice’), and X’wrome (хъуромэ; also X’wrame [хъурамэ]). In the first, which was later dubbed ‘Maf’aschhe Jed’ («мафIащхьэ джэд»; ‘Hearth Hen’), the festivities were initiated with a rite of sacrifice in which a black hen was immolated on the altar of the hearth. After the offering had been made, the members of the household whose smoke kept issuing for a whole year assembled in front of the hearth. The elder then said the prayers (тхьэлъэIу; thelhe’w):

With lasting fire in our hearth,
And well-lit and hot stoves,
Lacking no victuals to boil,
Nor crops to cook,
May God see us through next year!

A sumptuous feast was prepared for the occasion, an essential ingredient of which was either heljey (хьэлджей), a large loaf of maize or barley (originally only barley) bread baked in a bread-pan, or x’irshin (хъыршын), pie. The lady of the house cut the heljey or x’irshin into triangular pieces and presented one to each member of the household. Typical dishes and foodstuffs prepared and served included meat (of animal slaughtered for the occasion), chicken, turkey, gravy (шыпс; ships), crushed-millet dumplings (пIастэ; p’aste), fried chicken in sour cream sauce (джэдлыбжьэ; jedlibzche), pastry straws (джэдыкIэрыпщ; jedich’eripsch), short-cakes (тхъурымбей; tx’wrimbey), doughnuts and short-cakes (лэкъум; lequm), pasties (хьэлывэ; helive), pancakes (тхъурыжь; tx’wrizch), sweetmeat (хьэлыуэ; heliwe), and many more.



The celebrants, young and old, did not sleep a wink all night long, whiling away the time playing the game ‘de qeighezhex’ («дэ къегъэжэх»; ‘rolling down the nuts’). It was considered shameful and a bad omen to sleep on that propitious night. At dawn, ‘before the mangy pigs and wolves had the chance to bathe in the river in the new year’ («кхъуэ бэгумрэ дыгъужь бэгумрэ псым илъэсыкIэм зыхамыгъэпскIыхь щIыкIэ»; ‘q’we begwmre dighwzch begwmre psim yilhesisch’em zixamigheps-ch’ih sch’ich’e’), all headed to the river to cleanse themselves, no matter how cold the water was. This was essentially a ritual to harden the body and temper the soul.




In the X’wrome festival, the elders went round the village pronouncing their toasts and the young ones went in a group, called ‘X’wromashe’ («хъуромашэ»), collecting victuals and singing ‘X’wrome’, basically a toast wishing for plentiful crops, good health, prosperity and success. All households donated generously, for it was thought that otherwise the coming year would prove bad to the stingy household. After finishing their round, the groups gravitated towards a designated homestead, where the foodstuffs were cooked and prepared for the feast.