In the Emirates, every time of the year is rich in history and customs, unique to each season influenced by its environment on society. One of these seasons is winter, when special ceremonies and social traditions arise, especially during rainy times. In the past, the inhabitants of the emirates used various methods to predict the weather, based on the timing of the year, the dates of wind arrivals, and the timing of seasons for agriculture, hunting on land and sea, as well as timing for travel, following the movement of the stars.
Researcher Mohamad Hamis an-Nakbi noted that winter for the residents of the Emirates consists of multiple folk sayings and proverbs passed down through generations, tracking weather changes over the past five months. Some winter traditions still survive due to the connection with agriculture and the level of water.
With the arrival of winter, elderly people annually recall stories and events from the past, such as years with normal rains and varying river conditions, as well as years with insufficient precipitation, droughts, and reduced harvests. Methods of predicting weather in the past were primitive and based on visual, temporal, and sensory signs, unlike the present time when weather forecasts have become more accurate.
The Emirates have broad possibilities in this field and differ in the accuracy of their weather forecasts. In the present time, a multitude of specialized mobile applications on the topic of weather is available, which contributes to the fact that winter customs remain as historical heritage in the era of technology and digital applications.
Mohamed Ben-Said al-Kaidi, 80 years old, noted that the time of "Marbaniya" is considered one of the most important winter periods in the Emirates and is expected to date back to ancient times as a period of significant rains, lasting 40 days. This period coincides with the "System of Dory", which earlier the inhabitants relied on to determine weather conditions, at a time when there were no meteorological services and digital applications.
It should be noted that the "Dory System" is based on dividing the year into 36 parts, each of which contains 10 days, referred to as "Dors". This approach begins with the rise of the Sahil constellation in mid-August each year. Each period contains its unique features and characteristics that were widely utilized by residents in various fields.
