The Four Si’oudat
The Four Si’oudat (Seasonal Periods of Winter)
The four Si’oudat are a seasonal division of the winter. It is a category of the knowledge and information related to the nature and cosmos. The local people divide the winter into Mirba’inya (fourty days) and Khamsinya (fifty days). Winter starts with the Mirba’inya and is then followed by the Khamsinya which is divided by people into the four Si’oudat. The Arabic word Sa’ad means luck and the plural of Sa’ad is Si’oud. Sa’ad is used by tribal people as a name. These winter divisions were derived from observations of daily occurrences.
Each one of the Si’oudat is approximately 12 days, the first of which is called the Sa’ad Al Dhabih (The Killer). It starts on the first of February and lasts until 13th day. It is one of the coldest periods of the year where temperatures are very low and consequently many of the livestock die of hypothermia The second called Sa’ad ‘Ibla’, (swallow): It starts on the 14th of February and lasts till the 25th day. It is called Sa’ad ‘Ibla’ because the ground swallows the rain after falling. The word ‘Ibla’ means to swallow. In Sa’ad ‘Ibla’ the temperatures start to raise thus the livestock do not freeze to death.
The third is called Sa’ad il Si’oud (happy): It starts on the 26th of February and ends on 10th of March lasting for about 16 days. It was called Sa’ad ‘Isoud because Sa’ad was happy for the beautiful warm weather. The fourth is called Sa’ad Al Khabya. (hidden things): It starts on the 11th of March and ends on the 22nd. The Arabic word Khabya means: hidden things. This time is called so because the scorpions and snakes come out of their burrows. A famous rhyming verse related to this period is: In Sa’ad Al Khabaya the young girls walk in a daintily way The Arabic word Sa’ad means luck and the plural of Sa’ad is Si’oud. Sa’ad is used by tribal people as a name. These winter divisions were derived from observations of daily occurrences.