Nobody can predict the weather of Egypt better than Egyptians, so here is your guide to the weather via a very useful calendar.
The Coptic calendar, affiliated with the agricultural seasons, is
inherited from the ancient Egyptian calendar. To summarize the change in
seasons, each Coptic month is accompanied by its own witty proverb
explaining the changing weather.
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| Harvesting |
Tout (Sept 11- Oct 10), Yool lel har mout (‘Kills off
the heat waves’)
Known for its good weather, the proverb explains that this time of the
year is not good for cultivating new crops and it’s the beginning of autumn.
Baba (Oct 11 – Nov 9) Zar3 Baba yeghleb al nahaba (‘Any
theft of crops will hardly be noticed in the harvest of Baba due to its
richness’’)
Hatour (Nov 10 – Dec 9) Abou Al dahab Al Mantour (‘Hatour,
Where gold is scattered everywhere’)
This month is when Egyptian farmers traditionally plant the wheat seeds
and when the corn harvest ripens.
Kihak (Dec 10 – Jan 8) Sabahak Misak, Sheil Eidak men Ghadak w
hotaha fi ashak (‘Your day and night are so close, that you finish
your breakfast only to start dinner’)
At this time of year, days are short and nights are long.
Touba (Jan 9 – Feb 7) Yekhali el sabia karkouba (‘It
causes the young to age’)
Touba is the coldest time of year in Egypt, and as the proverb suggests,
can make even the youngest woman ache from cold.
The month is traditionally divided into three:
Touba - the first ten days which are usually very cold.
Tabtab - the following ten days which make a person shiver (hence the
name tabtab).
Tabateb - the last days that which go back and forth between good
weather and rain.
Amshir (Feb 8 – March 10) Abu al za3abib al keteer, yakhod al
agouza w yeteir (‘Amshir huffs and puffs and even makes an old woman
fly’)
Amshir is windy and full of sandstorms. Egyptian peasants divided this
month into three:
Mashir - also known as the ten days of the shepherd where it is
deceptively warm.
Mesharshar - the following ten days of the sheep where it is very cold,
rainy and windy and a lot of sheep die in the process.
Sharasher - the last ten days, where old people start to move around and
enjoy the warm weather.
Brahmhat (Mar 10 – Apr 8): Roh el Gheit we hat, qamhat, adsat,
basalat (‘Bramhat, go reap your harvest of wheat, lentils and onions’)
This is Egypt’s harvest season.
Barmouda (Apr 9 – May 8): Daq al Amouda wala yebqa fel gheit
wala ouda (‘Hammering down the stake and not a single green leaf in
the land’)
Barmoud is the season of crop storage and the season of dars, meaning
separating crusts from the seeds through the movement of farm animals tied to
al-nawrag (a wooden handmade cart-like device).
Bashans (May 9- June 7): Bashans yoknos el gheit kans (‘Bashans
sweeps the land’)
It’s post-harvest time, when the land is left to rest, to be ready for
the next sowing season.
Baouna (June 8 – July 7) Naql wa takhzein el mouna, fieh el
harara malouna (Storage season for it’s the season with the hottest weather)
It is close to the flooding season, hence ancient Egyptians learnt to
store their goods really well to keep them away from the flood.
Abib (July 8 - August 9) Abib tabakh el enab wel tein (‘Abib
the cook of grapes and figs’.)
Masry (Aug 7 – Sept 5): Tegri fieh kol ter3a asera (‘All
the streams run in this season’)
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| Proud Fellaha |
Article from Al-Ahram online 1/2/15
