The influence of winter in rural Bangladesh

Recently, life has become busier, and we have become more accustomed to modern life. As a result, many of us find it hard to gather as a group and head to the village. Even when we get a vacation suddenly, we often end up having a rooftop barbecue or a quick day trip. However, those who get the opportunity to rush to the village even for a short time, escaping the constraints of their busy lives, can still experience the joy of winter picnics and the warmth of genuine hospitality that they may have left behind.

I have already mentioned the various arrangements made during winter in rural life, but if I do not talk about how winter disrupts the rural people, then the full picture of winter in the village will remain incomplete. In the village, there is no warmth from an electric heater, no softness of a woolen blanket, or the promise of care from Vaseline or glycerin. Instead, the harshest and most intense form of winter is felt there. Village people endure the cold wrapped in handwoven shawls and mufflers. Instead of blankets that smell of naphthalene, rural folks wrap themselves in quilts made of silk cotton, infused with the fragrance of neem leaves, during the winter months. To ward off the cold, they warm their hands by the fire and keep a kerosene lamp or a piece of burning coal in a corner of the house. Since the majority of the people in rural settlements are laborers, and the burden of poverty is a constant presence in their lives, they have to rush to markets, fields, and other places even during the harshest winters. A very familiar sight on a winter morning in the village is Kalimuddin, the boatman, or Hasan from the fishermen’s neighborhood, walking along the edge of the field through the mist.

I mentioned earlier that the villages of Bengal are losing their original form due to the rapid changes taking place. That is why, perhaps, in some well-off households, people ward off the cold with warm blankets and buy winter clothes from stores. However, the harsh reality of the poor suffering during winter is still very apparent in the villages today. Even now, Kolimuddin and Hasan have to ignore the cold and rush to fight for survival. Their profession or means of livelihood might have changed. Kolimuddin might now be operating an engine instead of steering a boat, while Hasan might be considering catching fish with a current net. Yet, they rush along the edges of the fields on their cracked feet on fog-covered mornings.

Shamsur Rahman described the winter in the village as “an ascetic sage.” The poet did not say anything wrong. The bare attire of winter and the motionless nature remind us of meditation. While many things have changed, and some have faded away in the passage of time or the encroachment of modernity, the essence of rural life still carries childhood memories woven into every aspect of winter, a melody filled with affection that has been cherished over a lifetime. 

Winter season and winter preparations in rural life in Bangladesh

“How is winter in the village? How was the winter?” I was thinking about all these things while sitting in an air-conditioned room of a multi-story building. Without realizing it, my mind returned to a courtyard surrounded by shadows in the distant past. There, the smell of dried neem leaves emerged from the folds of the quilt at the beginning of winter. There, the preparation for winter is intertwined with afternoons of roasting peas and the steam of bhapa pitha (a traditional sweet). There, a dish of gourd and shoal fish curry is served on the plate with care. There, a flock of wild ducks flaps its wings in the quiet swamp forest on a winter evening. Winter in rural life speaks of another world, even hidden in the veil of poetry surrounded by mist and dew.

That is why every time I had the opportunity to experience a winter morning in the village during my childhood, I felt like this bone-chilling cold was the creation of a frail old woman. Unlike in cities, smoke and fog do not combine to form a “haze” there. Rather, a thick, flawless blanket of mist embraces the village with the utmost compassion. It is hard to see the sun in that semi-dark winter. The sound of dew droplets falling on the tin roof can be heard. Indeed, the water in the pond does not freeze like in Western countries, but those who have seen the stagnant face of a pond on a winter morning know that this scene is a unique element of this country’s winter.

The sun starts to spread its light after 9 or 10 am. The dew-drenched grass sparkles in that light. In the village, evening falls even before noon fades and afternoon arrives. With the arrival of winter, the length of the day becomes shorter, but this change can be clearly realized by sitting in the yard of a village house. The beauty of emptiness is one of the elements of winter in the village. In the winter season, we do not see the usual green nature in the village. Instead, the bare tree branches and dry leaves piled up in the yard highlight winter in its own glory. Perhaps thinking about this unique beauty spread in emptiness, rural poet Jasimuddin wrote, “Whom does winter’s ascetic remember, shedding her cloak of adornment?” Indeed, the rural nature is bare in winter.

Nowadays, even the nature of the village has been touched by urban life and the all-consuming influence of modernity. Still, when dawn breaks in rural areas sleeping under the severity of winter, nature surrounded by mist and the sound of dry leaves falling brings back memories of all the winter mornings left behind.

In rural life, the winter season means a festival gathering around the stove. The house, yard, and threshold are filled with the aroma of freshly ground rice and newly collected date palm sap. Mothers and aunts, as embodiments of affection, make handmade vermicelli (সেমাই) and decorative rice cakes (নকশি পিঠা). I remember how grandmothers would try to join the bhapa pitha together while sitting by the earthen stove on winter mornings with profound love. They would go to the kitchen at dawn, ignoring the intensity of winter, to prepare the dudh-chitoi (rice pancakes soaked in milk).

It is not just traditional Bengali rice cakes; there are many culinary delights and events around winter. In the evening, a juice pot would be hung on the date palm tree. The tree climbers would climb the tree to collect it before sunrise. At breakfast, that date palm juice had to be consumed in a large glass. Some people would go to the char areas. In winter, migratory birds and wild ducks would gather there. Domesticated swans were one of the items on the winter food list. And there were winter vegetables. The taste of vegetarian dishes made with cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, and bottle gourd, or the flavor of stir-fried small fish caught by leaving nets in the water all night, seemed to double in winter.

Perhaps nowadays, people no longer cook on earthen stoves in the villages. However, compared to the city, winter food there still means an abundance of much fresher foods. Handmade vermicelli or tree climbers may no longer be seen in the villages of Bangladesh, but you can still take a peek into the village kitchens. With utmost compassion, an octogenarian woman might still be making “chitoi” and “puli pitha” for her urban-dwelling grandchildren.

In rural life, the winter season means ‘naiyor’ (a visit to the parental home) and ‘kutumbakal’ (a family gathering). In the regional dialect, the winter season is described as the season of invitations and gatherings. During this time, wives go to their maternal homes for a holiday, and city-dwelling children return to the embrace of the village they left behind. The most wonderful portrayal of hospitality comes to life in the village during this season.

After many days, a lively gathering of friends and family occurs in the village courtyard. For a long time, I have seen that winter vacation meant an opportunity for cousins from both sides of the family to come together. A group of children would sit together in a row on an extended balcony on those winter mornings. Then, it was the morning of quickly eating Chitoi Pitha soaked in date palm juice. While the elders were busy taking a nap after a meal in the afternoon, a group of teenagers, covering their faces with sweaters and hats, would plan a picnic. Two handfuls of rice from this house and two chickens from that house—that was it. With these, they would start cooking on a handmade clay stove in the evening. Those evenings in the village, illuminated by the lights of kerosene lamps and lanterns, would come alive with gatherings for ghost stories. With a betel leaf box in hand, perhaps the elderly grandmother would become the center of attention at those gatherings. She would be surrounded by a group of grandchildren, visualizing the call of a mischievous ghost or, due to the intense cold, even shivering while sitting under the blanket.

Bangladeshi villages during winter season

Winter comes every year. The two months of Poush and Magh make up the winter season. Winter mornings remain covered with fog. Light begins to appear slowly on the eastern horizon. The morning dew falls drop by drop. Dewdrops sparkle on the grass. In the morning light, the tempting, sweet aroma of boiling date palm sap drifts from afar. On the village roads, farmers take their oxen toward the fields to prepare the land for sowing saplings. Meanwhile, in the mustard fields, the buzzing of bees starts.

In villages, the main attraction of the winter season is date palm sap. In the afternoon, sap collectors climb the date palm trees, cut a small portion of the bark, and tie an earthen pot with a rope beneath it. All night, the sap drips drop by drop and collects in the pot. People bring down the pots from the trees in the morning and collect the date palm juice. In villages, various types of traditional cakes, puddings, and sweets are made with date palm juice and newly harvested rice. Everyone, both young and old, enjoys eating these delicacies.

In the winter season, when evening arrives in villages, everyone lights a fire in the courtyard to warm themselves up. The adults often go to the local shops to have tea and chat about various topics. During winter, various types of fresh vegetables—bottle gourds, beans, radish, cabbage, yardlong beans, and different types of leafy greens—are found in villages. In winter, villages truly reveal many beautiful forms. 

Winter morning in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a country of six seasons. Each season is radiant with its own distinct characteristics. Among them, the winter season appears before us with a completely different atmosphere. Winter comes like a biting old woman, draped in the freezing cold winds from the north and a blanket of fog. For people, the main attraction of winter days is the winter morning. At this time, nature is surrounded by dense fog. The light of the new sun cannot penetrate the dense white curtain of fog and spread its radiance on the earth. In the cold wind, nature and the animal world start to tremble. That is why the poet Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore said,

“The winter breeze made the amalki dance on its branches.

The leaves rustled and fell rhythmically.”

The months of Poush and Magh make up the winter season. During this time, the dance of fog begins with nature. The cold winds from the north blow, and trees lose their leaves. The intensity of the river’s stream slows down. When everything is covered with thick fog in the winter morning, nature appears extraordinarily beautiful. In the pale nature, a silent beauty is seen on winter mornings. This beauty is somewhat abstract. Nature becomes engrossed in a strange stillness on a winter morning. When a traveler walks through the veil of fog, breaking the silence, it feels as if his body is shivering in the biting cold of winter. The picturesque scene of dew drops accumulating on tin roofs, tree branches, and grass tips is seen only on winter mornings. The dew drops glitter like pearls on the bosom of nature wrapped in a thin white sheet. Nature becomes refreshed. Yellow mustard fields and flower gardens buzz with the sound of bees. When the sun peeks through the veil of fog, the dew-soaked nature sparkles in the soft light.

Winter morning in city: The winter morning in the city is spent in a slightly different manner. The cawing of crows, rather than the chirping of various birds, may awaken city dwellers on winter mornings. Many city dwellers spend winter mornings sleeping, reluctant to leave the warmth of their blankets. Even those who must wake up early tend to rise late on holidays. As a result, city dwellers cannot enjoy the winter morning like rural people do. In the city, the asphalt roads are covered with fog, and dew falls as well, but the touch of dew-soaked grass, as in the countryside, does not stir the hearts of travelers. In winter, even adults hesitate to wash their faces with icy cold water, and children run away fearing it. City dwellers do not have the mindset to watch the sunrise, sunset, or the fog of winter mornings. For those accustomed to a robotic life, such things are merely matters of emotion. Nevertheless, urban residents greet the winter morning adorned in vibrant winter clothes. Wrapped in comfortable garments like coats, jackets, sweaters, hats, shawls, and mufflers, they head out to their workplaces on winter mornings.

Winter morning in village: In the village, winter morning creates a unique scene. Various types of vegetables are produced during the winter season. Fresh date palm sap is found on winter mornings. The sweet aroma of bhapa pitha increases the appetite in the winter morning. The impoverished villagers often lack warm clothes during the winter. They tremble in cold at night, and before the sun peeks out, it feels like morning is just about to arrive. The call for prayer (Azan) is heard from the village mosque, and worshipers from far and wide come to the mosque to say prayer breaking through the deep darkness. After eating a full meal of panta bhat (water-soaked rice), the farmers go to the fields to work on a foggy winter morning. They also go to the local market for shopping. The children go to the village maktab (a traditional Islamic elementary school) for their studies. When walking past the mosque or maktab, you can see the students receiving religious education in their loud collective voices. Their voices reach our ears. If it feels a little bit colder, the group of boys gather around the straw fire, roast the beans in the fire in the morning, and warm themselves by the fire.

Rivers on winter morning: During winter season, in our country, there is not enough water in the rivers during winter. During that time, the river offers an abundance of fish to catch. That is why, early on winter mornings, fishermen go to the river to catch fish. Although the fishing boats are only a short distance away, they remain invisible in the dense veil of fog. However, boats on long journeys, such as launches and ferries, struggle to navigate smoothly through that thick fog. Then, the cold wind blowing over the river brings a shivering chill that shakes one to the bone.

Main attraction of winter morning: The main attraction of a winter morning is the variety of traditional cakes. During this season, abundant date palm juice is available in villages. Early morning, earthen pots are brought down from the date palm trees. It feels wonderful to drink this fresh juice on a winter morning. As soon as the morning arrives, there is a rush throughout the villages to enjoy date palm sap pudding. The village children gather in groups, basking in the sun while eating puffed rice, crispy sweets, and various traditional cakes and puddings. The main attractions of this season are Chitoi Pitha and Bhapa Pitha. In addition, varieties of cakes are made in each household. That is why poet Sufia Kamal once said,

“During the Poush festival, sitting down to eat pitha, they are filled with joy,

and their excitement grows even more upon receiving their mother’s scolding.”

Happiness and sorrows on winter morning: There is no greater comfort than lying cozily inside a quilt or blanket on a winter morning. Having breakfast with various types of traditional cakes, winter vegetables, and more on a winter morning creates a sense of happiness among people. On the other hand, for those who do not have winter clothes to wear and sleep beside the road in the chilling winter air, winter mornings are full of hardship.

Disadvantages of a winter morning: On a winter morning, when the bone-chilling cold sets in, the villagers suffer from lethargy and melancholy. People’s enthusiasm for work comes to a halt. They feel like lying comfortably wrapped in quilts. Poor people suffer due to a lack of warm clothes. In the poet’s words, a prayer arises in their hearts:

“O sun!

Give us warmth and light in our damp, soaked home.” 

Disadvantages of moving vehicles: On winter nights or mornings, the environment remains foggy. As a result, nothing can be seen clearly from a distance, and it often seems there is nothing ahead except a white curtain of fog. During this time, road accidents occur most frequently due to moving vehicles. Similarly, issues also arise with the movement of launches and steamers on the waterways. It is better to avoid traveling on roads or waterways in foggy conditions.

Conclusion: Who doesn't love the touch of golden sunlight, damp with dewdrops, on a winter morning? With a mix of comfort and inconvenience, winter mornings fill our hearts with a unique sense of joy for two months each year. In the poet’s words, “a drop of dew on a single stalk of rice” illuminates the beauty of a winter morning. 

Winter Season: The season for travelers and food lovers

Bangladesh is known for its varied meteorological conditions. This beautiful country has the presence of all six seasons- summer, monsoon (Rainy), autumn, late autumn, winter and spring. Each season comes with its own characteristics, making it separate from others. According to Bengali calendar, the position of winter season is fifth. This season is composed of two Bengali months- Poush and Magh. In this particular period of the year, the weather becomes very dry. Because of the late rise of the sun and setting up early, the winter day becomes shorter than night. It is also known as the season of mist and fog.

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Though winter season is from mid-December to mid-February, mild winter is felt from November actually. In January, the average temperature in the north-west and north-east regions of the country starts from 11° Celsius and it remains 20°-21° Celsius in coastal regions. In this season, the cold wind blows from the north and you might know that the Himalayas are located to the north of Bangladesh. For this reason, temperature of northern Bangladesh remains very low compared to southern Bangladesh. Usually, it does not rain this time, but it dews a lot at night. Despite having sunshine, temperature remains low and the weather remains cold.

In winter season, we can see the cloud-free blue sky. Due to dense fog, the sun does not appear for several days. Dewdrop on top of a leaf or grass makes the winter morning more beautiful and scenic. The whole country and country people are covered by the sheet (চাদর) of fog. This time the chilling cold wind shivers everyone’s body. When the cold wave sweeps across the country, people experience severe cold. In the morning, people busk in the sun for warmth. Sleeping under the heavy blanket is more enjoyable than sightseeing in cold weather. During winter season, various types of flowers- Ashoka, Eucalyptus, Kurchi, Camellia, Bagan Bilash, Rose, Marigold, Dahlia, Sunflower, Chrysanthemum and Mustard- bloom and enhance the beauty of winter. Wetlands and forests of this country become the destination for different species of guest birds coming from the furthest corner of the world, such as Siberia, Mongolia, and the Tibetan plateau.

Winter season is not equally enjoyed by people of different professions and classes. During this season, many people suffer from various cold-related diseases. Off these, respiratory infection, pneumonia and diarrhea are very common. Children and elderly people are the worst victims as they are prone to cold and other seasonal diseases. Many of them even die from winter illness. Low-income people, particularly day laborer, suffer greatly by severe cold for not having enough warm clothes. To get rid of this bitter cold, they light fire on the streets to warm themselves. This activity sometimes leads to the pathetic accident claiming the life of ordinary people. Not only human beings but also other living beings are badly affected by cold weather. Leaves of most of the trees become dry and as a result, leaves change color and fall off trees.

Winter season is also known as the season of festivals. During this time, religious festivals, such as Christmas and Saraswati Puja, are celebrated across the country. It is a perfect time to arrange corporate and family picnic in different historical and tourist places. Many marriage ceremonies take place in this season. That is why, it is also called the season of marriage. Parents and legal guardians of the eligible bachelors chose this season for its pleasing environment.

Winter season comes with varieties of foods. In Bangladesh, different types of cakes are made with date juice during winter. Nolen Gur (নলেন গুড়) and Patali Gur (পাটালি গুড়) and many different types of molasses are found in this season. Many new vegetables- Spinach, Bean, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Tomato, pea- are found in abundance. These vegetables are fresh and are very appetizing food. So, people stay healthy despite having intense cold.

In conclusion, I would like to request all readers to donate their old winter clothes to the poor and deprived people so that they do not suffer from bitter cold.