The beginning of the fifty-day winter period with Saad Al-Dhabih at this time

Arab Weather - Dr. Ammar Al-Sakaji, President of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, said that the winter's fifty days begin today, Sunday, February 1st, with this season beginning with Saad Al-Dhabih according to the popular heritage in Jordan and neighboring regions. After Al-Dhabih, the Saads follow as successive seasons: Saad Bala’, then Saad Al-Saud, then Saad Al-Akhbiya (or Al-Khabaya), and the fifty days continue until the spring equinox at 5:45 pm on Friday, March 20, 2026, according to Jordan time .

The Arabs have divided this period, with remarkable intelligence, into four “Saud”, as if the ancestors drew a climatic map in the language of the story, welcome to the fifty days of winter… and welcome to Saad, even if he slaughters .

As it is stated in popular tradition:

"The reputation belongs to the forty-day period, but the action belongs to February."

Indicating the severity of the cold, Saad Al-Dhabih is considered the harshest and most memorable. Saad Al-Dhabih lasts twelve and a half days. In the popular narrative, Saad is portrayed as the leader of the caravan, who defied the harsh winter by slaughtering his camel to escape the frost and severe cold. Some of his companions followed him. Whoever slaughtered his camel, warmed himself with its fat, and covered himself with its skin, survived the storm. Whoever disobeyed him met his fate of destruction. As it was said : “He who slaughtered was not slaughtered, and he who did not slaughter was slaughtered.”

Its days are described as the coldest... and begin with the slaughter

Sa'udat from an astrological perspective

From an astronomical perspective, and within the stellar calendar of the Arabs, or what is known as the science of weather patterns, the entry of Saad Al-Dhabih coincides with the rising of a star bearing the same name, known as the “Dhabih Star,” as it is listed in the astronomical atlases of the International Astronomical Union, or by its scientific name “Beta Capricorni,” one of the most prominent stars of the constellation Capricorn. This star appears to the observer as a single point of light, but modern telescopes reveal it as a complex binary star system, consisting of two main stars that have been orbiting in a quiet gravitational dance for millions of years. The most prominent component in it is this yellow giant, that is, a star that has passed the stage of nuclear stability and has begun to expand, glowing with a faint golden color. This system is about 330 light-years away from Earth .

With the dawn of these days, the star Saad Al-Dhabih rises at a low altitude of no more than eight degrees above the eastern/southern horizon of Jordan at the moment of sunrise on Sunday, in addition to its angular proximity to the sun’s glare, as its angular distance from it does not exceed about nine degrees, and its magnitude is about 3. This makes it difficult to observe with the naked eye, especially in areas affected by light pollution, but it remains possible in deserts and rural areas with the availability of suitable observation conditions .

Jordan: Indications of the first low-pressure system of the winter season are expected mid-next week.

How can the star Saad Al-Dhabih be seen?

For astronomy enthusiasts, the difficulty turns into pleasure; using binoculars or small telescopes, this “yellow giant” can be captured as it silently announces the beginning of one of the winter phases. It is a rare moment when popular timing meets precise astronomical calculations, and the association has observed this star in previous years during this period .

But today, with the development of science and technology, weather forecasting no longer depends on astronomical events alone as in the past, but is determined with high accuracy through modern weather models, satellite images, and direct measurements of basic weather elements, such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed.

These tools allow for highly accurate short- and medium-term weather forecasting, with real-time tracking of the development of air masses and low-pressure systems. Thus, weather forecasting has become a science based on data, mathematical and physical modeling, not solely on traditional observation, although this tradition still retains its cultural and cognitive value in understanding the ancient relationship between man and the sky and the seasons .