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Alahamady Be Malagasy New Year in Antananarivo/Ambohimanga
Alahamady Be is the Malagasy lunar new year, celebrated in late March or early April across Antananarivo and historic sites such as Ambohidrabiby. Marking the first new moon of the traditional calendar, the two-day observance combines feasting, gift-giving, hiragasy performances, traditional games and sacred-fire rituals rooted in Merina royal tradition.
Alahamady Be is the traditional Malagasy new year, timed not to the Gregorian calendar but to the first new moon of the lunar year, so its date shifts between late March and early April depending on the astronomical calendar.