Winter history and tradition: where does the snowman custom come from?

With climate change and the snowless winters of recent years, manychildren have not been able to experience the joy of building a snowman when the first snowflakes fall. However, this tradition is very old and dates back centuries, to when the first European settlers arrived in North America, in the coldest regions. But how did this craze for creating a snowman with a carrot for a nose come about?

With particularly longwinters near the North Pole, settlers began making snow sculptures, then called "Winter Men," to keep themselves busy and have a little fun. Over time, families made it a tradition to gather as a community and celebrate winter. At first, the snowman was very simple, made from a single snowball, stones, and branches, but it evolved to reach human size and was given accessories, from a carrot to a scarf.

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The snowman has become a symbol of winter,Christmas, and children's joy in the Northern Hemisphere. This very ephemeral work of art was first mentioned in writing in the 16th century by Shakespeare, as well as in a collection of German nursery rhymes in 1770. Far from being friendly, the snowman was then depicted as a large, threatening figure, as winters were harsh.

As Christmas became popular, so did winter, and snowmen became more friendly and fun. In fact, the Disney animated film " Frozen" chose this figure for its character Olaf, who is particularly popular with children. It's interesting to note that while in France our snowmen are made of two balls, in Germany three balls are used to form the body of the snow creature! Traditions regarding how to dress the snowman vary from country to country, with a bucket on the head in Japan rather than a hat, for example. What does your snowman look like?

And to explore more winter and Christmas traditions

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