Calendar of seasons among Arabs and Bedouin tribes

Arab Weather - Arabs and Bedouin tribes developed popular astronomy that was directly linked to their daily lives based on weather and climate. This astronomical knowledge was essential to organizing their lives and activities associated with the different seasons, which helped them create an accurate calendar based on the rising of the stars.

Calendar of seasons among Bedouin tribes

Summer Sections

Astronomically, summer begins with the rising of the Pleiades star on June 7 and continues until the rising of the Canopus star on September 5. Summer is divided into several main parts:

• Summer Square

The summer square begins with the rising of the Pleiades and witnesses the hottest days of summer. The Pleiades is associated with the increase in day length and the yellowing of the earth as a result of the harvest. Other stars also rise during this period, such as Aldebaran, which symbolizes intense heat and is called "Muqaydih" or "Majidih" because of its intense heat.

• The fifties of summer (the embers of summer)

This period begins on July 16 and lasts for fifty days, when the temperature is at its highest. This part of the summer is associated with the rising of several stars such as Al-Hana’a, Sirius, Al-Kulaibin, and Al-Tarfa. This period is considered difficult as the heat intensifies and summer fruits begin to ripen.

Fall Semester Sections

• Autumn (Harif - Safri - Wasm)

Autumn begins with the rising of the Aljibha star on September 6 and ends with the setting of the Alzibani star on December 6. Autumn is divided into three periods:

1. Safri: It includes the first days of autumn when temperatures moderate and desert plants begin to bloom. This part of autumn is characterized by the rising of the Jebha and Zubra stars and coincides with the autumnal equinox, when the days become shorter and rain becomes more influential on agriculture.
2. Al-Wasm: Al-Wasm begins with the rising of the Howling Star in mid-October and continues until the disappearance of the Zabani in November. This period is named Al-Wasm due to its rains that contribute to the flowering of the earth and its transformation into a green carpet.

Winter Sections

Winter begins on December 7th and continues until March 7th. This season is considered one of the most difficult seasons for the people of the Jordanian desert, especially the days of Al-Murabba’iyah, which are characterized by extreme cold and scarcity of rain. After Al-Murabba’iyah comes the Khamsiniyah period, which is divided into:

Al-Shabat: The Al-Shabat season begins on January 15 and lasts for 26 days. It is characterized by severe cold until the water freezes. It is called “Mabkiyat Al-Hasini” due to the extreme cold.

Scorpions: The scorpions extend to three stars called (Sam, Dam, Dasm), and they mark the end of winter, as the cold begins to gradually recede with the beginning of the second scorpion.

Spring Sections

Spring begins on March 8th with the entry of the Saad Al Saud star, and it is the best season of the year as trees blossom, grasses grow and milk production increases. Spring is divided into two parts:

1. Fat Scorpion: This period is characterized by an increase in fat in livestock due to the availability of abundant grass.
2. Al-Hameenayn: These two stars represent the beginning of the earth’s warmth, as the grass begins to dry out relatively as the sun’s heat intensifies.

See also:

With the autumn fluctuations.. Discover the difference between the recorded and tangible temperature

What if winter time is re-implemented in Jordan?

Sources:

Jordan Heritage Calendar