In Addis Ababa, it’s not common to talk about seasons in detail since it doesn’t really affect people’s lifestyles. Priests and other strict followers of religion know a thing or two, but others have basic knowledge such as names of the seasons and what happens – rainy or sunny. They don’t have an in-depth knowledge. However, people in rural areas—especially farmers—know about seasons as it is detrimental to their survival. They can predict the day the seasons will start; they know when to plant their seeds, harvest their crops and plough their lands.­ We will dive into the four seasons of Ethiopia, but let’s start with the basics.

What are seasons? 

A season is a division of the year marked by changes in weather, ecology, and the amount of daylight.  In temperate and polar regions, the seasons are marked by changes in the intensity of sunlight that reaches the Earth’s surface, variations of which may cause animals to undergo hibernation or to migrate, and plants to be dormant.  Cultures define the number and nature of seasons based on regional differences.  Since the year has 12 months, each season lasts about three months.  However, the dates when the seasons begin and end vary depending on whom you ask.  In temperate and sub-polar regions, four seasons based on the Gregorian calendar are generally recognized: spring, summer, autumn or fall, and winter.

What happens during the seasons?

Spring:  This season is a time of renewal.  During this time, trees begin to develop (bud) and flowers start to bloom.  Rainy days make it easy for plants, flowers and grass to grow.  In the spring, seeds take root and vegetation begins to grow.  The weather is warmer, and often wetter.  Animals awaken or return from warmer climates, often with newborns.

Summer:  This is a common season for thunderstorms. The more Earth tilts towards the Sun, the more heat we get.  A lot of people love summer because it’s warm, plants are in full bloom and their smell fills the air.  In some regions temperatures may increase to their hottest of the year.  If they spike too high, heat waves or droughts may cause trouble for people, animals, and plants.  Rainfall may increase in some areas, as well. Others may receive less water, and forest fires may become more frequent.

Autumn/Fall:  This season brings colder temperatures and frost.  Some crops are harvested during autumn.  Corn is one of them.  Animals prepare for hibernation during this season by eating a lot as they need to save the fat and energy for the harsh winter months.  Plants may begin to grow dormant.  Animals might prepare themselves for the upcoming cold weather, storing food or traveling to warmer regions.  Various cultures celebrate bountiful harvests with annual festivals.

Winter:  This season brings snow and ice to a lot of locations around the world.  Most animals, including snakes and bears, go in hibernation during this season.  Some areas may experience snow or ice, while others see only cold rain.  Animals find ways to warm themselves, and may have changed their appearance to adapt.

The dates the seasons occur on depend on whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere.

1. Northern hemisphere: Winter (December 1 – February 28), Spring (March 1 – May 31), Summer (June 1 – August 31) and Autumn (September 1 – November 30)
2. Southern hemisphere: Summer (December 1 – February 28), Autumn (March 1 – May 31), Winter (June 1 – August 31) and Spring (September 1 – November 30)

Why do we have seasons?

Seasons are the result of Earth’s orbit around the Sun and Earth’s axial tilt at an angle of about 23.4 degrees relative to the ecliptic plane.  The axis of the Earth is tilted, which means during summer we are leaning towards the Sun.  That is why different parts of Earth receive more solar energy than others.  As we travel around the Sun, we begin to tilt away and it becomes winter.  This is why when it is winter in the UK, Australia has summer.  But not all countries actually have four seasons.  Tropical countries only have two seasons:  wet and dry.  Any country away from the equator will have four seasons.  Countries like Ethiopia that are near to the equator – the line which goes around the middle of the earth – don’t tilt very much, therefore, have very mild seasons.

How Earth’s tilt changes the seasons

Regardless of the time of year, the Northern and Southern hemispheres always experience opposite seasons.  For approximately half of the year (from around March 20 to around September 22), the Northern Hemisphere tips towards the Sun, with the maximum amount of sun exposure occurring on about June 21.  For the other half of the year, the same happens for the Southern Hemisphere with the maximum around December 21.

When the North Pole tips farthest towards the sun, the South Pole is the opposite; their seasons are very extreme.  They only have one sunrise and one sunset a year.  It is dark for six months of the year and light for six months. Imagine that!

Concept of Seasons

Seasons hold special significance for agrarian societies whose lives revolve around planting and harvesting ties, and more often in previous times the change of seasons was attended by rituals.  The definition of seasons is also cultural.  In India, from the ancient times, six seasons or Ritu based on south Asian religious or cultural calendars are recognized and identified even today for the purposes such as agriculture and trade.

Ecologists often use a six-season model for temperate climate regions which are not tied to any fixed calendar dates: prevernal, vernal, estival, serotinal, autumnal, and hibernal.  Many tropical regions have two seasons: the rainy, wet, or monsoon season and the dry season.  Some have a third, cool, mild, or harmattan season.  In some parts of the world, other “seasons” capture the timing of important ecological events such as hurricane, tornado, and wildfire seasons.

Most calendar-based methods use a four-season model to identify the warmest and coldest seasons, which are separated by two intermediate periods.  Calendar-based reckoning defines the seasons in relative rather than absolute terms.  Accordingly, if floral activity is regularly observed during the coolest quarter of the year in a particular area, it is still considered winter despite the traditional association of flowers with spring and summer.  Additionally, the seasons are considered to change on the same dates everywhere that use a particular calendar method regardless of variations in climate from one area to another.

As mentioned, a variety of dates and even exact times are used in different countries or regions to mark changes of the calendar seasons.  These observances are often declared “official” within their respective areas by the local or national media, even when the weather or climate is contradictory.  However, they are mainly a matter of custom only and have not generally been proclaimed by governments north or south of the equator for civil purposes.  As a result of European colonization, the four-season European model is used officially almost throughout the world, although the seasons are reversed between the northern and southern hemispheres.  Be that as it may, in Finland, Sweden, and Iceland the dates of the seasons are not based on the calendar at all, but on temperatures.  This means the seasons within each country start and end on different dates, depending on the regions and their climate.  In Iceland for example, the first day of summer, a national holiday, falls on the first Thursday after April 18.

What are the climatic zones in Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is in the tropical zone located between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer.  It has three different climate zones according to elevation.

1. Kolla(Tropical zone) – is below 1830 meters in elevation with an average annual temperature of about 27℃ and annual rainfall of about 510 millimeters.  The Danakil Depression (Danakil Desert) is about 125 meters below sea level.  It is the hottest habitable place on Earth, the temperature climbing up to 50℃.
2. Woina dega(Subtropical zone) – includes the highlands areas of 1830 – 2440 meters in elevation with an average annual temperature of about 22℃ and annual rainfall between 510 and 1530 millimeters.
3. Dega(Cool zone) – is above 2440 meters in elevation with an average annual temperature of about 16℃ and annual rainfall between 1270 and 1280 millimeters.

The Four Seasons of Ethiopia

As you ask individuals, it appears they all have their own versions of the seasons and the dates.  Some say there are three seasons while others identify four or even two.  The following information is gathered from different sources—mainly farmers.

• Tseday (Spring)– From September to early December (Meskerem – end of Hidar) is the harvest season and is sunny.  This is the season where seeds grow and more of the land and mountain are green and flowering.  A couple holidays celebrated are Ethiopian New Year or Enkutatash on September 11 or 12 (Meskerem 1) and Feast or Finding of the True Cross or Meksel on September 27 (Meskerem 17).
• Bega (Winter)– From December to early March (Tahsas – end of Yekatit) is the dry season with frost in the morning especially in January.  It is sunny.  Leaves start to dry and most farmers harvest cereal crops to store for themselves or to sell.   The rain will soften farmers’ land making it easy to plough for the next season.  Some holidays celebrated are Ethiopian Christmas or Genna on January 6 or 7 (Tahssas 29) and Ethiopian Epiphany or Timket on January 19 or 20 (Tir 11).
• Belg (Autumn)– From March to early June (Megabit – end of Ginbot) is sunny with occasional showers.  However, May is the hottest month.  This is the season where farmers plough their land to get it ready for planting seeds in Kiremt.  Different leguminous plants are sown, such as maze and sorghum.  A few holidays celebrated are Victory of Adwa on March 2 (Yekatit 23), Ethiopian Easter or Fasika on April 27 (Miyazia 19) and Ethiopian Patriots’ Victory day on May 5 (Miyazia 27).
• Kiremt (Summer)– From June to early September (Sene – Pagume) most of the regions are rainy.  In this season, farmers sow different cereal crops, are weeding, and rivers will fill up.

What can we learn from the different seasons in Ethiopia?  Well, we have learned that since we are near the equator, we have subtle changes in weather from season to season.  But that’s not all, said an international trader who is focused on building agro-industry in Ethiopia and works closely with farmers; it is amazing how Ethiopia has different weathers in different parts of the country.  When it is rainy in Addis, it is humid and hot in the Rift Valley region and even more so for the Afar region.  It is marvelous that the different appellations and altitudes don’t relate to seasons.  Can you believe that?!

What about seasons around the world?

Two seasons

In the tropical parts of Australia in the northern parts of Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory, wet and dry seasons are observed in addition to or in place of temperate season names.  From November 1 to April 30 it is the dry season in the Northern Hemisphere and wet season in the Southern Hemisphere.  From May 1 to October 31, the seasons are reversed.

Three seasons

The most historically important of  the three seasons division—flood, growth, and low water—which were previously defined by the former annual flooding of the Nile in Egypt.  In some tropical areas a three-way division into hot, rainy, and cool season is used.  In Thailand three seasons are recognized: Ruedu nao (cold season from mid-October to mid-February), Ruedu ron (hot season from mid-February to mid-May), Ruedu fon (rainy season from mid-May to mid-October).

Six seasons

Some calendars in south Asia use a six-season method where the number of seasons between summer and winter can number from one to three.  The dates are fixed at even intervals of months.

In the Hindu calendar of tropical and subtropical India, there are six seasons or Ritu that are calendar-based in the sense of having fixed dates: Vasanta (Spring from mid-March – mid-May); Greeshma (Summer from mid-May – mid-July); Varsha (Monsoon from mid-July – mid-September); Sharad (Autumn from mid-September – mid-November); Hemanta (early Winter from mid-November – mid-January); and Shishira (prevernal or late Winter from mid-January – mid-March).  The six seasons are ascribed to two months each of the twelve months in the Hindu calendar.

The Bengali and Tamil calendars use similar months but differs in start and end times.

The North American Cree and possibly other Algonquian-speaking people used or still use a six-season system.  The extra two seasons denote the freezing and breaking up of the ice on rivers and lakes. In this region the seasons are: Pipon (Winter from January –February); Sekwun (Break-up from March-April); Mithoskumin (Spring from May-June); Nepin (Summer from July-August); Tukwakin (Autumn from September-October); and Mikiskaw (Freeze-up from November-December).

Twenty-four seasons

The calendar in China has seasons traditionally based on 24 periods known in solar terms.  The four seasons chūn (Spring), xià ( Summer), qiū (Autumn), and dōng (Winter) actually begin much earlier, with the solstices and equinoxes forming the midpoint of each season rather than their start.  Astronomically, the seasons are said to begin on Lichun (lit, “standing Spring,” start of Spring) on about February 4, Lixia (start of Summer) on about May 6, Liqiu (start of Fall/Autumn) on about August 8, and Lidong (start of Winter) on about November 7.  These dates were not part of the traditional lunar calendar; however, moveable holidays such as Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival are more-closely associated with the seasons.  It forms the basis of other such systems in East Asian Lunisolar calendars.

AWiB’s reason for writing about seasons

AWiB is all about disseminating pertinent information, which is why this month’s focus is on seasons. Since people don’t really have enough knowledge about their own country’s seasons we thought it would be helpful to provide information.  In addition, it seems that nowadays we aren’t in tune with nature.  We just go about our daily routine like machines in an assembly line.  Learning about the seasons helps us understand the passage of time and teaches us about change.  Pay attention to how you feel and try to see the positive aspects of each season.  Do you hate going to work when it’s raining all the time?  Do you feel irritated when it’s hot?  Do you enjoy hearing birds sing?  We connect with an essential part of ourselves when we align with the seasons.  The more we align our lives with the seasons, the more easily our lives will flow.

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