Tizi Ouzou, Algeria - Jan 12, 2018
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1. Performance in progress
2. Various of residents
3. Various of residents holding numbers "2 9 6 8"
4. Various of musicians, dancing
5. Various of close up of residents
6. Various of celebration with people in costumes
7. Various of residents
8. Mohamed Bouderbali, governor of Tizi Ouzou Province
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Mohamed Bouderbali, Governor, Tizi Ouzou Province:
"We attach great importance to our culture, traditions and heritage. This is what we are celebrating today."
10. Various of residents at fair
11. Various of youth playing instruments
12. Performance in progress

While many people around the world have already celebrated New Year's, Berbers across Algeria celebrated their New Year on Friday, marking year 2968 in their calendar.

Berbers are an ethnic group that is native to North Africa and has a population of around twenty million. Today, they mainly reside in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.

The year of 2968 is especially worth celebrating for the Berbers since it's the first year after the Algerian president signed a decree in December 2017 legally making every January 12 the official Berber New Year in the country.

Berbers in the country gathered in Tizi Ouzou City to dance and put on festive, costume-clad performances to bring in the new year.

Many Berbers around the country felt immensely proud to take part in this celebratory moment.

Mohamed Bouderbali, the governor of Tizi Ouzou Province, said that they celebrate this day in honor of their traditions.

"We attach great importance to our culture, traditions and heritage. This is what we are celebrating today," said Bouderbali.