Winter has its own special flavor, sweetness, nostalgia, and memory in Jordanian folk heritage. In the winter season (known as 'al-shitwiya'), it is customary for family members, relatives, neighbors, and friends to gather around the firepot (kanun) seeking warmth. The activities include keeping warm with various traditional foods like roasted chickpeas, fava beans, beets, roasted acorns, and consuming dusty ghorayebah made at home from the chickpea season; also, frying lentils with its delicious aroma, and eating pumpkin, raisins, date fruit, and pieces of traditional sweets, which are comforting and keep everyone warm. The evenings are filled with storytelling, folklore tales like Ghouleh, Jabina, and stories of Abu Zayd al-Hilali, Zirqa’ al-Yamama, Antar Ibn Shaddad, Abla bint Malik, al-Zir Salem, "The Exile of Banu Hilal," and other Arab folklore tales, along with jokes and riddles, told by our grandmother, may God have mercy on her, during her visits when we would gather around her and listen as she shared wisdom and meaningful words, which we might not fully grasp as children but came to appreciate as we grew older. My grandmother, mother, and father, sitting around the wood stove or the glowing coal brazier, would hope for more rain to increase the crops for the season, and I hear words that make my father happy, but if someone from a store asks how the season is, the answer comes th
The first period: Called the forty-day period, it lasts 40 (forty) days and is named 'al-Murba'aniyah'.
The second period: Called the fifty-day period, it is divided into four equal sub-periods, each named Sa'd, noting that this term is not used for this period as in the first period ('al-Murba'aniyah'), the S'oods (plural of Sa'd) are:
· Sa'd al-Dhabih (The Slaughterer).
· Sa'd Bala' (The Swallower).
· Sa'd al-Sa'ood (The Rising).
· Sa'd al-Khaba'ya (The Hidden).
We will explain later about each winter period as described by the Jordanian farmer and farmers in the Levantine region
The first period: It is the forty-day period or 'al-Murba'aniyah', as mentioned earlier, extends from the morning of December 23rd until the evening of January 31st, lasting exactly forty days. In Jordanian culture, 'al-Murba'aniyah' is considered the backbone of the winter, a season of blessings where people are hopeful for abundant harvests in the following seasons, particularly olive and wheat seasons, which are crucial to the economy of the Levant generally and Jordan specifically. The Jordanian farmer makes sure to fill the well with rainwater for use in the following summer and facilitates the channels to the agricultural wells spread among the wheat and barley fields, and the olive groves.
Typically, optimism and joy are scarce if the weather remains sunny and the Eastern wind, devoid of humidity, persists during 'al-Murba'aniyah', replacing the rain. However, they remain hopeful with a proverb that says, "The Eastern wind is a churn for winter," accepting a few sunny days interspersed during this period which allows them to visit their land and fix damages caused by the heavy rains, gather firewood, and olive pomace in preparation for the rainy nights ahead, among other activities they enjoy during the sunny winter days.
Moreover, spring and grass grow by the action of the warm winter sunlight during this season, dressing the land in green, decorated here and there with red, violet, yellow, and white flowers, although it is not the flowering season.
The weather of 'al-Murba'aniyah' is characterized as cold, stormy, and wintry, throughout the rainy period, and many farmers believe that the cold during 'al-Murba'aniyah' also has a positive impact on the tree crops for the following season. It is said about the prolonged period of rains as 'Lezbah' and their collection as 'Lezabat' and during 'al-Murba'aniyah', air fronts loaded with snow enter. Here, words like snowflake, fluffy clouds, and terms indicating large snowflakes like 'ears of a cat' are used metaphorically, along with 'Jad'an', referring to sheep wool.
Acknowledging the weather during this period, and confirming its chilliness, the Jordanian farmer always prepares the house with sufficient firewood for the longest possible duration in anticipation of welcoming 'al-Murba'aniyah'. Additionally, the mother buys or sews winter clothes for the children and furnishes the house with woven rugs and cushions, and wears fur clothing, and adults ensure to buy clothing that provides warmth before the onset of the winter season.
The second period: Called the fifty-day period and divided into four (4) sub-periods, which we will detail as follows:
The first Sa'd: Sa'd al-Dhabih:
It lasts for 12.5 days (twelve and a half days), starting on the morning of the first day of February and ending midday on the thirteenth. This period is named 'Sa'd al-Dhabih' due to the heavy rainfall. The story goes that a shepherd named Sa'd was herding his cows far from his home on the first day of February. When heavy rains surprised him continuously, finding no nearby cave to shelter himself and his herd, he was forced to slaughter a cow from his herd and cover himself with its hide throughout the rainy period, saving him from certain death. When he returned to his tribe, they received him with congratulations on his safe return and wisdom in using the cow’s hide after slaughtering it, considering the act as the main reason for his survival from the heavy rains. The story of Sa'd and his intelligence spread among the people, and they named this winter period 'Sa'd al-Dhabih' after him and his deed. It seems they also named the subsequent periods that are equal in duration to Sa'd al-Dhabih as 'Sa'd', differentiating them with attributes.
The second Sa'd: Sa'd Bala' (The Swallower):
Twelve and a half days following Sa'd al-Dhabih are called 'Sa'd Bala'', characterized by the land swallowing the rains falling during
