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Writer's pictureMary Reed

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – Snowmen


I walk by an outdoor decoration that is a snowman. That is usually the closest we get to snow in Dallas, although it does snow occasionally. A friend who lives near some artists even had anatomically correct snowman and snowwoman in her neighborhood. Growing up in Oklahoma there was more snow than in Texas, and I built a few snowmen. But there was not near as much snow as when I visited my grandparents near Chicago. They had a foot of snow! There was plenty for making a giant, fat snowman. My sister and I had a grand time plowing through that deep cushion of snow. I like Christmas because unlike Halloween, there is nothing scary about it. The snowmen are always smiling, happy to see you. Hope that positive attitude rubs off on the rest of us as we navigate the pandemic.

Earliest known photograph of a snowman, c.1853

History

Documentation of the first snowman is unclear. However, Bob Eckstein, author of “The History of the Snowman,” documented snowmen from medieval times by researching artistic depictions in European museums, art galleries and libraries. The earliest documentation he found was a marginal illustration from a 1380 book of hours, found in the Koninlijke Bibliotheek in The Hague. The earliest known photograph of a snowman was taken in 1853 by Welsh photographer Mary Dillwyn, the original of which is in the collections of the National Library of Wales.

People dancing around a snowman – woodcut from 1511

A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture often built in regions with sufficient snowfall. In many places, typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs of different sizes with some additional accoutrements for facial and other features. Due to the sculptability of snow, there is also a wide variety of other styles. Common accessories include branches for arms and a rudimentary smiley face, with a carrot used for a nose. Clothing, such as a hat or scarf, may be included. Low cost and availability are the common issues, since snowmen are usually abandoned to the elements once completed.






Snowman in the United Kingdom

Construction

Snow becomes most suitable for packing when it approaches its melting point and becomes moist and compact. Making a snowman of powdered snow is difficult since it will not stick to itself, and if the temperature of packing snow drops, it will form an unusable denser form of powdered snow called crust. Thus, a good time to build a snowman may be the next warm afternoon directly following a snowfall with a sufficient amount of snow. Using more compact snow allows for the construction of a large snowball by simply rolling it until it grows to the desired size. If the snowball reaches the bottom of the grass it may pick up traces of grass, gravel or dirt.


In North America, snowmen are generally built with three spheres representing the head, torso and lower body. In the United Kingdom, two spheres are used, one sphere representing the body and one representing the head. The usual practice is to then decorate and optionally dress the snowman. Sticks can be used for arms, and a face is traditionally made with stones or coal for eyes and a carrot for a nose. Some like to dress their snowmen in clothing such as a scarf or hat, while others prefer not to risk leaving supplies outdoors where they could easily be stolen or become stuck under melting ice.

122 feet 1 inch tall snowwoman

Giant snowmen and records

In 2015, a man from the U.S. State of Wisconsin was noted for making a large snowman 22 feet tall and with a base 12 feet wide.


The record for the world's largest snowman was set in 2008 in Bethel, Maine. The snow-woman stood 122 feet 1 inch in height and was named in honor of Olympia Snowe, a U.S. senator representing the state of Maine.


The previous record was also a snowman built in Bethel, Maine, in February 1999. The snowman was named "Angus, King of the Mountain" in honor of the then current governor of Maine, Angus King. It was 113 feet 7 inches tall and weighed over 9,000,000 pounds.

Larger style of snowman with conical base

A large snowman known as "Snowzilla" has been built each winter in Anchorage, Alaska.


In December 2016 the smallest snowman of sorts was created in a nano-fabrication facility at University of Western Ontario. It consisted of three roughly 0.9 micron spheres of silica, platinum arms and nose, and a face made by an ion beam.



2019 New Year stamp of Russia

Snowman-themed items

Snowmen can also be a theme for toys, costumes and decorations. They have been featured on New Year stamps, for example, in Russia and other post-Soviet states.


One common time for snowman-themed decorations is during the winter holiday and Christmas season, where it is celebrated. One craft book suggested a plan making a small snowman doll out of white glove, ribbon and other craft supplies.


One book on snowmen, which included instructions on working with real snow, also mentions snowman-themed sweets and confections. Some options for snowman-themed dessert items include ice cream, marshmallows and macaroons.

Yuki cone

Variations on a snowman

In addition to snowmen, other things can be produced. Typical variations on the snowman concept involve producing other snow creatures or snow decorations.


The Yuki Cone, named after the Japanese word for snow, involves building a small cone-shaped structure from snowballs, illuminated from the inside with a tealight.


Sometimes other raw material might be used to create objects that mimic the snowman concept.




Snow rabbit or Yukiusagi





In Japan

In Japanese, snowmen are called "Yukidaruma." Possibly because the shape is related to a Daruma doll, they usually only have two sections instead of three. There is also a longstanding tradition in Japan of creating snow rabbits or "Yukiusagi."









In media

Snowmen are a popular theme for Christmas and winter decorations and also in children's media. A famous snowman character is Frosty, the titular snowman in the popular holiday song "Frosty the Snowman" — later adapted into film and television specials, who was magically brought to life by the old silk hat used on his head. In addition to numerous related music and other media for Frosty, snowmen also feature as:

- “Bouli,” a French animated series about a snowman's adventures in a magical place.

- “Der Schneermann,” a 1943 animated short film created in Germany.

- “Doc McStuffins” features a plush snowman named Chilly.

- “Jack Frost,” a 1996 horror movie in which a serial killer is transformed into a snowman.

- “Jack Frost,” a 1998 movie with Michael Keaton in which he wakes up as a snowman after a car accident.

- “Oswald” features a snowman named Johnny who runs an ice cream shop.

- “The Snowman,” British picture book in 1978 by Raymond Briggs and animation in 1982 directed by Dianne Jackson about a boy who builds a snowman that comes alive and takes him to the North Pole.

- “Calvin and Hobbes,” an American cartoon by Bill Watterson, contains many instances of Calvin building snowmen, many of which are deformed or otherwise abnormal, often used to poke fun at the art world.

- Hans Christian Andersen wrote a winter fairy story, “The Snowman.”

- Dennis Jürgensen's horror story "The Snowman," about a boy traumatized by being locked in a meat freezer.

- R.L.Stine’s “Goosebumps” story titled "Beware, the Snowman" featured a monstrous snowman.

- The 2013 film “Frozen” features a living snowman named Olaf who longs to see summer.

- The film score includes a song about building a snowman, titled "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”


According to Greta Jaruševičiūtė’s article “92 Hilariously Creative Snowmen That Would Make Calvin and Hobbes Proud” at Bored Panda, below are a few of the winners.




Damn GPS keeps freezing up.


Oh, not you too, Frosty!


Damnit! I still can't get reception.








"We want longer winter!"

"We want better quality carrots!"

Snow army

Snow minions

Snowman apocalypse

Znowbies







Take us to your leader


Where are the footprints?


Revenge of the Pac-man ghosts


Invasion of the snow snatchers












Gulliver's Travels Liliputians


Down with the giant!


Little people unite!








Totoro snowman









How can they be real? There are no footprints.


Created by flying angels?







I’ve always loved the idea of summer.


Why, of course! What could possibly go wrong?








ZOMB-ICE!!


When you like your snow cones directly from the source


Cherry snow cone


The Walking Snowdead





Pushing or pulling? If they're brothers, definitely pushing.

Frosty the snowman was a wicked soul they say. And the children know he was made of snow. But he came to life one day...

This kid should not have watched Fargo.

Frosty 2: Frosty's Revenge




Twinning


Wait... Which one is the REAL dog...?


A Snowrzoi









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