The beginning of winter and the arrival of the winter square

Weather of Arabia - Saad Bukhari - The beginning of winter and the arrival of Al-Murabaniyya

The winter square in our folklore and ancestral stories has a fixed date every year, starting on December 23 (9 days of December + 31 days of January = 40 days). Its name, or square, comes from the number of its days, i.e. forty days.

But according to weather and astronomy experts, Friday, December 22 of this year 2023, is the first day of the square and the beginning of the winter solstice. Why does this difference occur?

Winter in the Arab world falls from an astronomical perspective between 21 and 23 December of each year because it is located north of the equator, which means that the start of winter varies from year to year. The reason is due to the number of days in the Gregorian year approved for the calendar, which is 365 days, while it needs The Earth astronomically revolves around the sun (a complete cycle) for 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. Therefore, the date of the winter solstice varies from year to year, and the difference appears in the following years in the form of a change in the date of the winter solstice according to astronomy experts.

Also, although the solar day is 24 hours, it does not contain 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night each day, as the day is shorter in winter than in summer due to the Earth’s axis tilt of 23.5 degrees.

Winter solstice

The winter solstice (the beginning of the square) is known as an astronomical phenomenon in which winter begins in the northern hemisphere, where the North Pole tilts by 23.5 degrees due to the deviation of the Earth’s axis of rotation around itself (the maximum tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation in its orbit around the sun in a year) and as a result The birth of winter and the shortest day of the year occurs.

The day of the winter solstice is characterized by a late sunrise and an early sunset, as on Friday, December 22, we will witness a sunrise at 6.27 minutes in the morning. This day will record the shortest hours of daylight and longest hours of night in the year. The number of hours of daylight for this day will be 10.03, ten hours and three minutes, while it will be 10.03 hours and three minutes. The number of hours of the night is 13.57, thirteen hours and fifty-seven minutes.

Summer Solstice

In contrast to the summer solstice that the southern part of the Earth will witness, with which summer begins and has the longest days of the year, while it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

As for the equinox, it comes in the spring and fall, and it means the time in which the hours of day and night are equal in all parts of the globe.
We find that in countries located on the equator, day and night are always equal, regardless of the season, and this is why it is called the equator.

Among our popular sayings and stories of our ancestors in the Levant, it was said in Al-Murabaniyya

If Al-Murabbaniyah begins rainy, it heralds a rainy season, and if it begins dry, it heralds a dry season. It was said about it (Oh, with a square, oh with a hat) (O sun that burns, O rain that drowns), and they said as a metaphor for the cold of Al-Murabba’aniyah: (O Lord, save us from the calamity of Al-Murabba’aniyah).
Al-Murabbaniyah is considered the coldest day of the year and the beginning of the rain and snow season, as Al-Murabbaniyah rain accounts for approximately 30% of the average rainy season.
We point out that the duration of the winter season is 90 days and falls into two parts: the first part is Al-Murabba’iyah for forty days and the second part is Al-Khamasiniyya. The length of its duration is inferred from its name, i.e. fifty days, and it is called the period of Sa’udat (Saad Al-Dhabih - Saad Bala’ - Saad Al-Saud - Saad Al-Khabaya).
With the end of the Pentecost, the winter ends and the spring equinox comes.

God Almighty said: “So I said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever Forgiving.’ (10) He sends the heaven upon you in abundance. (11) And He provides you with wealth and children, and makes for you gardens. And He makes for you rivers (12) (Surat Nuh).
God Almighty said: And if you asked them, “Who sends down water from the sky and revives the earth therewith after its death?” they would certainly say, “Allah.” Say, “Praise be to Allah.” Nay, most of them Do they not understand? (63) (Al-Ankabut).
God Almighty said: “And We made from water every living thing (30)” (Surat Al-Anbiya).

It was stated in the supplication:

• (O God, give us abundant rain, horrific, beneficial and not harmful, sooner rather than later)
• (O God, give us rain and do not make us among those who are despondent. O God, grant us another beneficial rain)
• (O God, give us rain and do not make us among the despondent. O God, grow the crops for us, turn the udder for us, give us water from the blessings of the earth and the sky, and produce for us the blessings of the earth and the sky. O God, we ask for Your forgiveness, for You have been Forgiving, so send the heavens upon us in abundance. O God, around us and not against us. O God, upon us. The hills, the mountains, the bottoms of the valleys, and the treetops, O God, grant us watering with mercy, not watering with torment, calamity, demolition, or drowning.
• (Oh God, peace and blessings be upon the people of Gaza and Palestine).

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