According to the Turkmen folk calendar, the Aralyk period began on June 21 and will last until July 22, reports the Turkmenistan newspaper.

According to folk traditions, a farmer who managed to sow the planned crops during the Aralyk period could count on a good harvest. If the time was missed, some autumn crops did not have time to ripen. Farmers planning to sow rice in fields cleared after wheat level and irrigate the soil in advance, and soak the seeds in water. After a few days, the swollen grains are planted in moist areas.

The period preceding Aralyk, Ülker, is considered the boundary between spring and summer—hence the saying: "When Ülker rises, it's summer; when it sets, it's winter." After Ülker gives way to Aralyk, a noticeable change occurs in the sky: the summer solstice begins in the Northern Hemisphere. During these eighteen days, crops actively grow and produce a bountiful harvest. It is during this sultry time that melons, watermelons, grapes, and other vegetables and melons accumulate their sweetness, and farmers, despite the heat, continue to water and cultivate their fields.

The word "aralyk" means "interval"—and it's symbolic that it gave its name to a star in the sky. Aralyk is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Minor; it can be seen especially clearly on the night of June 22. During the heat wave, shepherds would drive their cattle to night pastures and use the clear starry sky to predict how hot the following day would be. Thus, having studied the patterns of rising and setting of the heavenly bodies, the ancestors of the Turkmens skillfully applied this knowledge to agriculture and livestock breeding.