Wezeea ( ar, وزيعة) or Thawzeeath, also known as Thamcherateth ( ar, ثامشرطث), is the term used in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

to designate one of the cultural customs in a Sufi society observed by the inhabitants of

rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descr ...

s, especially the Berbers of the

Kabylia Kabylia ('' Kabyle: Tamurt n Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', meaning "Land of Kabyles", '','' meaning "Land of the Tribes") is a cultural, natural and historical region Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which ...

region.

Presentation

The ''Wezeea'' is not only widespread in the

region, but rather in the regions of the Aurès and

Mozabite people The Mozabite people are a Berber ethnic group inhabiting the M'zab natural region in the northern Sahara in Algeria. They speak Mozabite (''Tumẓabt''), one of the Zenati languages in the Berber branch of the Afroasiatic family. Many also spea ...

, and elsewhere in the country. They are organized on several occasions and

Mawsim ''Mawsim'' or ''moussem'' ( ar, موسم), ''waada'', or ''raqb'', is the term used in the Maghreb to designate an annual regional festival in which worshippers usually combine the religious celebration of local Marabouts or Sufi Tariqas, with ...

s, especially in the Ashura celebration, the season of Ramadan, the anniversary of the Mawlid, and the beginning of the plowing season. The disciples slaughter a number of cows, which the families and philanthropists share in buying them, and they share their meat in the end, so that the meat is accessible to all the families of the village. The poor people who do not share in the price of the cows get their share of the meat as well; This makes this habit more a social solidarity than something else and is considered a genuine Algerian cultural heritage. The Sufi orders, especially the

Rahmaniyya The Raḥmâniyya (Arabic: الرحمانية) is an Algerian Sufi order (tariqa or brotherhood) founded by Kabyle religious scholar Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Azhari Bu Qabrayn in the 1770s. It was initially a branch of the Khalwat ...

order, are what contributed to preserving this custom in the Algerian rural community.

Practices

Since the ''Wezeea'' is one of the customs and traditions that the inhabitants of the

region inherited from grandfathers, the villagers collect money to buy calves or bulls, and the number of bulls sometimes reaches 17 or 20 bulls. If there are many families in the village, the slaughter process takes place on a predetermined day, usually on the day of Friday prayer, then the meat is cut into equal portions according to the number of members of each family, and the meat rations are distributed after that to the families living in the village in equal measure, so that there is no discrimination in the division. After distributing the meat to the families, the preparation process for the harvesting of olives and the demonstration of ''

Tweeza Tweeza ( ar, تويزة), also Touiza or Tiwizi, is the term used in north Africa to designate the cooperation in a Sufi and cultural heritage in which a group from the tariqa or zawiya in a community or village gathers and cooperates in order to ...

'' begins, which usually takes place in traditional methods at the end of the autumn season, and the preparation is by cleaning the sides of the

olive tree The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

s and removing weeds and branches that are useless from them and around them. ''Wezeea'' is therefore one of the most important manifestations of solidarity that characterizes the residents of the villages, ''madashir'' and neighborhoods of the

region. It is a solidarity process in addition to being an occasion linked to land and water, where the residents used to approach their Allah Almighty Lord by slaughtering calves and cows and distributing their meat to the poor people seeking help. And now this custom has become associated with the advent of religious occasions and

Islamic holidays There are two official holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Both holidays occur on dates in the lunar Islamic calendar, which is different from the solar-based Gregorian calendar, so they are ...

such as Eid al-Fitr, Qadr Night, and the Mawlid, and some of them hold it to celebrate the ''Amazigh New Year'' called Yennayer corresponding to the twelfth of January of each year in the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

References

{{Authority control Sufism Islamic terminology Religious festivals Algerian culture Festivals in Algeria Berber culture Berber mythology Rituals Ashura Mawlid

Presentation

Practices

See also

References