We are
observing that there are four quarter seasons in Ethiopia. For example, during
the season of Kermit in which there exist heavy rain for about 94 days (from
end of Sene 14 to Meskeram 13). Kermit season is characterized by its own
features such as farming lands are covered by growing crops, it rains day and
night, rivers are flooding and schools are closed. At the beginning of the end
of Kermit, the second quarter season is called Metsew. Metsew that covers 89
days (from the end of Meskeram 13 to Tahisas 12) is also characterized by its
own features such as absence of rain, light sunshine, flower and growing crops
are with fruits; schools are opened, but young students are following sheep and
cattle after school hours return. The third quarter season is called Bega that
covers 90 days (from the end of Tahisas 12 to Megabit 12). Bega season is
characterized by windy and sunny, crops and grasses are dried and harvested, market
price of crops are relatively decreasing, wedding period and after the mid of
Bega seasons sheep and cattle are not followed by any individual because there
are no crops in the agricultural field. The fourth quarter season is called
Tseday that covers 92 days (from the end of Megabit 12 to Sene 14). Tseday
season is also characterized by its own features such as begins a little rain,
farmers are plowing their land for maize and other cereals production, crops
and grasses become green and growing again, cattle and sheep are followed by
individual thus students are busy after school hours.
These
four quarter seasons of the year are recurring every year in Ethiopia. It is
because the sources of seasons are the earth rotates every 24 hours and
revolves around the sun every 365.25 days.
Another
important question is that are the observations of these four quarter seasons only
the attributes of Ethiopia? I think and believe, these four quarter seasons are
not only the attributes of the current Ethiopia at least for the following two
reasons.
The
first reason is that why do Ethiopia which is located in the first quadrant of
Tropic and Brazil which is located in the third quadrant of the Tropic produce
similar coffee production and supply to the world market? The second reason is
that why do the four quarter seasons of north Temperate such as Summer, Autumn,
Winter and Spring are symmetrical with the four quarter seasons of south
Temperate such as Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn respectively?
Nevertheless, besides bilingual English
Amharic Dictionary both unnaturally and unscientifically defines four quarter
seasons of the year by north Temperate such Autumn, Spring, Summer and Winter
as Metsew, Tseday, Kermit and Bega in Ethiopia respectively. In fact, Grisdale
(1960:33) has also
partially discovered the problem of knowing seasons as follows.
“In Ethiopia there
is a misleading tendency to call the ‘Rainy season’ -the Northern Summer- ‘Kermit’
meaning winter, because the climate is more unpleasant in this season. This
tendency should be checked; instead of using the terms winter and summer it is
better to use the more meaningful expression ‘Rainy Season’ and ‘Dry season’,
remembering whilst so-doing what we truly mean by the seasons”.
It is
gratefulness of Grisdale that the proper names of seasons of north Temperate
cannot be called used as names of seasons in Ethiopia, because using those
terms such as winter and summer in Ethiopia is neither natural nor scientific.
But the limitation of his discovery is that in the world of four quarter
seasons of the year he prescribes only two seasons such as more
meaningful expression ‘Rainy Season’ and ‘Dry season’, remembering whilst
so-doing what we truly mean by the seasons.
Kearsey
(1964:21) discusses the length of daylight and the seasons of the year are
related to the fact that the earth’s axis of rotation is tilted relative to the
orbit. Besides, he says the length of day and night differs for different
places, and also differs with the season of the year at any one place. The
relative warmth of the different seasons is mainly affected by the angle at
which the sun’s rays strike the earth. Although the relative warmth of
different seasons in the Tropics and Temperates are different, he discusses
only the north Temperates seasons such as summer, autumn, winter and spring.
It is
naturally observed that moderate seasons of the year and shorter variations of
day and night are the attributes of the Tropics. That is why, G. Last (1968:68)
confirmed that use of the 12 hour time system (12 hours daylight and 12 hours
night throughout the year in Ethiopia is the most useful.
“Ethiopia
is very near the equator; its most northerly point is only 180 form
the equator. Therefore, there is not much change in the length of day and night
during the year. There is only about half an hour’s difference is the length of day
between December and June. This is why the 12-hour time system is most useful
in Ethiopia” Last
(1968:69).
Nevertheless, G. Last’s
discovery is partial because he should have used the institute of months such
as Tahisas and Sene which reveals the existence of shorter variations of day
and night in the Tropics.
Therefore, we are able to wrap up that four quarter observable
seasons of the year in the north Tropic and four quarter observable seasons of the
year in the south Tropic are undiscovered. Thus as ways of economists thinking,
it is useful to set the following two new theories of solar time.
(I)
The
shorter variations of day and night and moderate seasons are the faster
rotations and revolution of the Tropics, when
(II)
The
longer variations of day and night and extreme seasons are the slower rotations
and revolution of the Temperates.
These two new theories are illustrated
in Figure 1.1 which shows the longer variations of day and night in the
Temperates and also differs with the extreme seasons of the year, and the
shorter variations of day and night in the Tropics and also differs with
moderate seasons of the year. The relative warmth of moderate seasons in the
Tropics and extreme seasons in the Temperates are different is mainly affected
by the angles at which the sun’s rays strike the spherical earth.
We know the shorter length of day and
night changes with the moderate seasons in the Tropics, when the longer length
of day and night changes with the extreme seasons. Figure 1.1 demonstrates that
there are five optimum days of the year in the Tropics and in the Temperates.
These five optimum days of the year recur at the end of the day when the sun is
overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, at the equator, the Tropic of Capricorn, the
equator and the Tropic of Cancer. The word optimum refers to maximum or minimum
(solstice) and length of daylight equals night (equinox). Each optimum day
recur at the end of each season. Thus four optimum days of the Tropics are
different from four optimum days of the Temperates. Of course we have the
calendar of Ethiopia and the calendar of Gregorian to help us keep the track of
Tropical seasons and Temperates seasons respectively. Thus Z model in Figure
1.1 reveals Sene 14, Meskeram 14, Tahisas 12 and Megabit 12 are proper names of
four optimum days in the Tropics, when June 21, September 23, December 21 and
March 21 are proper names of four optimum days in the Temperates.
Sene 14 marks the end of Tseday and
Metsew seasons in the north and south Tropics respectively, when June 21 marks
the end of Spring and Autumn seasons in the north and south Temperates
respectively. On Sene 14 and June 21, the sun is overhead at points of 23.5°EN
and 156.5°WN of the equator. Latitude that connects points of 23.5 and 156.5
degrees is called Tropic of Cancer. From the end of Sene 14 to Meskeram 13 in
the Tropics and from the end of June 21 to September 23 in the Temperates the
earth continues its faster and slower rotations and revolution around the sun.
