When does Al-Murabbaniya start? Dates, stars and signs of winter

When does Al-Murabbaniya start? On 7 December, the day after the last day of Al-Wasm. It runs for thirty-nine days across three stars of thirteen days each: Al-Iklil, Al-Qalb and Al-Shawla. It ends on 14 January, and Al-Shabt begins on 15 January. Weather specialists call it the true start of winter in the Arab reckoning: the cold builds, night and day, as its days go on.

When does Al-Murabbaniya start and end?

The weather and climate researcher Abdulaziz Al-Husaini gives 6 December as the last day of Al-Wasm and the day after as the start of Al-Murabbaniya. With three stars of thirteen days each, these are its dates:

Star	Starts
Al-Iklil	7 December
Al-Qalb	20 December
Al-Shawla	2 January

The name is usually explained by the number forty, arba'in: it is counted as about forty nights of cold, even though the exact count is thirty-nine days. The Arabs split the nights of winter into Al-Murabbaniya, the hardest stretch, and what follows it. After Al-Murabbaniya comes Al-Shabt, with its two stars Al-Na'aim and Al-Balda, running to 10 February and bringing the coldest days of the year.

The signs of Al-Murabbaniya

Al-Husaini lists its signs: cold that grows by night and by day as the days pass, steady gentle rain in good years, breath you can see, fog, dew, and leaves falling from the trees. He adds that its first star, Al-Iklil, works as an extension of Al-Wasm for the plants: what Al-Wasm's rain started, the first days of Al-Murabbaniya carry on.

Al-Murabbaniya's cold is described as a cold that comes from the ground: the earth gives up its warmth night after night, so whoever sits on the sand feels the cold before the air does. Anyone who has slept out in the desert in December knows it: a thick mat under you matters more than the blanket on top.

After Al-Murabbaniya: Al-Shabt, then Al-Aqarib

The cold doesn't end with Al-Murabbaniya. Al-Shabt starts on 15 January and lasts twenty-six days, to 10 February, across two stars of thirteen days each, Al-Na'aim and Al-Balda. Dr Abdullah Al-Musnad describes it as the season of frost, fog and strong winds, and advises against planting anything in its first thirteen days. Then Al-Aqarib begins on 10 February: thirty-nine days across Sa'd Al-Dhabih, Sa'd Bula and Sa'd Al-Su'ud. So anyone planning winter trips can count the coldest nights from December to about mid-February, and what you pack for Al-Murabbaniya stays useful well after it.

How to get ready for Al-Murabbaniya in the desert

Al-Murabbaniya nights are long, and for many people they are the best nights for sitting up by the fire, but they take some preparing. Layers beat one heavy piece: a cotton long sleeve against the skin, a fleece crewneck or hoodie over it, then the farwa or a jacket. Your head loses a lot of heat, so a beanie by the fire does more than an extra blanket.

Choose your spot with care: settle where a dune or the cars shelter you from the north wind, lay a thick mat or two rugs under you, and bring a hot drink in a thermos that lasts the night. If children are coming, pack an extra layer for each of them, because they get cold faster than adults. The rule desert people know: put the layer on before you get cold, not after.

Build your fire in a pit or on the ground with wood you brought from home, and never cut the desert's trees or shrubs. Never sleep with embers or wood burning inside a closed tent; it is one of the things health authorities warn about most every winter. Before you leave, put the fire out completely and leave the place clean.

Al-Murabbaniya at Barr

Drop 02, Al-Murabbaniya, is ten warmer pieces for the longest fireside nights. It opens on 17 November 2026, weeks before its season, to leave time for your piece to be made and shipped. On the Murabbaniya Long Sleeve we drew the scorpion round its own stars, its heart in red: forty nights from Al-Iklil to Al-Shawla. The Scorpion Heart Dad Hat carries the red star at the centre of the season. The drop also has the fire circle seen from above on the oversized tee and the hoodie, with the cars parked against the north wind; a whole winter night from sunset to dawn on the crewneck, coffee, dinner, baloot, tea and talk; and the Murabbaniya beanie with the black tent embroidered on the cuff. For the warm layer, the heavyweight fleece is in our hoodies and crewnecks. Every piece is made for you after you order.