gida
GEE-dah
The Sámi season when the snow begins to melt — warm days and cold nights, the skiing conditions always good. The reindeer herders move toward the mountains. Spring, but defined not by a calendar date but by what the snow and the animals are doing.
Etymology
Lule Sámi. One of eight Sámi seasons, each defined by the reindeer's life cycle rather than the sun's position.
Notes
The Sámi are sometimes called the "People of Eight Seasons." Their calendar runs: giessie (summer), tjaktjagiessie (late summer/harvest), tjaktja (autumn), tjaktjadálvve (autumn-winter), dálvve (winter), giijredálvve (late winter), giijre (spring), gida (spring-summer). Each season is tied to what the reindeer are doing, not to a fixed date.
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