The snowman is the real spirit of winter! Russian winter transforms the world with its frosty breath. Everything becomes like a wonderful fairy tale: white fluffy snow is flying, the sleeping earth, covered with a winter blanket, sparkles in the sun...
And in every yard, as if by magic, funny snowmen wrapped in scarves appear.
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This fun winter activity has been known to people for centuries. But not many people know what supernatural meaning the snowman had in the past... Find out about it from our article and look at the photos that will surely make your mood festive and inspire your own creativity!
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According to the old legend, at the end of the 15th century, around 1493, Italian sculptor, the architect and poet Michelangelo Buonarroti made the first snow figure. The image of a snow figure first appeared as an illustration for a children's book with songs published in Leipzig.
3:1594The first snowmen were portrayed as evil, ferocious snow monsters of impressive size.. This is no coincidence, because in those ancient times, merciless winters with their severe frosts and dank blizzards brought a lot of trouble.
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Most likely, it was then that they appeared beliefs according to which snow creatures pose a real threat to people. For example, it was believed that sculpting them during the full moon was dangerous: for a person, disobedience could result in obsessive nightmares, night terrors and, in general, all sorts of failures.
4:1500And in Norway there was a legend that it is dangerous to look at the snowy figure late in the evening from behind the curtain; besides it was considered It's a bad sign to meet her on your way at night, it was recommended to avoid it.
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It was only in the 19th century that snow creatures “grew up” and soon became an indispensable attribute of Christmas and New Year. Greeting Cards with the image of a cute smiling snowman surrounded by cheerful children quickly gained popularity.
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According to an old European proverb, Saint Francis of Assisi considered the creation of snow figures as a unique method of fighting demons. And according to another Christian legend snowmen are angels, because snow is a gift from heaven. This means that the snow man is none other than an angel who can convey people’s requests to God. To do this, they sculpted a snow figure from freshly fallen snow and quietly whispered their desire to it. They believed that as soon as it melted, the request would immediately be delivered to heaven and would soon be fulfilled.
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In Europe, snowmen were always made next to houses, generously decorated with garlands and household utensils, wrapped in scarves, and handed branchy brooms.
7:1724The mystical character is discernible in the details of their attire.
7:105For example, carrots Instead of a nose, they were attached to appease the spirits who send harvests and fertility.
7:297Upside Down Bucket on the head symbolized prosperity in the house.
7:416In Romania, the custom of decorating a snow figure has long been known. beads from garlic heads: it was believed that this contributed to the health of household members and protected them from the mischief of dark forces.
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Wonderful themes dedicated to snowmen children's fairy tales, the most famous of which is "The Snowman" by H.H. Andersen. In it, the dog told the snowman about his life, about people and about the stove where he loved to warm himself when he was a puppy. And he also had an inexplicable desire to get closer to the stove; it seemed to him that something was moving inside him. All day long, instead of enjoying the biting frost, he was sad, looking at the stove through the window... Spring came, and the snowman melted. And only then was an explanation for his sadness found: he was fixed on a poker, which moved in him at the sight of his native stove.
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In Rus', snow figures have been sculpted since ancient pagan times and were revered as the spirits of winter. They, like Santa Claus, were treated with due respect and asked for help and to reduce the duration of severe frosts. By the way, snow women and the Snow Maiden are our Russian heritage.
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Our ancestors believed that in winter natural phenomena- fogs, snows, blizzards - are commanded by female spirits, therefore, in order to show them their respect, they sculpted snow women It’s not for nothing that the expressions “mother winter” and “father frost” exist. And the month of January was sometimes even called “snowman”.
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Since ancient pagan times, in the understanding of the Russian people (as well as some peoples Northern Europe)snowmen are angels descended from heaven. After all, snow is a gift from heaven. This means that the snowman is none other than an angel who can convey people’s requests to God. For this, a little snowman was sculpted from freshly fallen snow and their cherished wish was quietly whispered to him. They believed that as soon as the snow figure melted, the wish would immediately be taken to heaven and soon come true.
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Cutely smiling toy snowmen have always been especially popular with children. In glorious Soviet cartoons“Snowman Postman”, “When the Christmas Trees Light Up” the snowman acts as Santa Claus's faithful assistant around the house.
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In Soviet Union snowmen were skillfully drawn on greeting cards. It is clear from Soviet greeting cards that the snowman was one of the most beloved New Year's characters.
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Today, in our civilized world, creating snow figures remains not only a favorite pastime for children, but also a socially organized holiday. Placed all over the world records for making the largest snowmen.
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The tallest snow woman in Europe flaunts on the slopes of a ski resort in Austria, in the city of Galtür: its height reached 16 meters 70 centimeters.
17:1189And the record for creating the tallest snowman in the world was set in the United States of America in 1999, its height was 37 meters 20 centimeters, and its weight was 6 thousand tons of snow.
17:1522We are not lagging behind in this matter either! For several years now In Moscow, the annual Snowman Parade competition is held at the estate of Father Frost in Kuzminsky Park. And even though our snowmen are only as tall as a person, their number is very impressive!
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Find time to enjoy winter and be sure to build your own snowman! Happy holiday!
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Winter... Snow... A great opportunity to have fun: play snowballs, go down an incredible sled slide, ski, perform an unusual trick on ice skates. But if the frost has lost its ground a little - ideal conditions cheerful company build a funny snowman...
Would you think that this winter fairy-tale man, familiar to everyone, an integral attribute of a winter park or yard, has a very interesting story And unusual traditions in different countries?
Snowman story
The history of the creation of the first snowman, according to an old legend, takes us back to the distant year 1493. It was then that Michelangelo Buonarotti, a sculptor, poet and architect, sculpted the first snow figure. But the first written mention of a beautiful huge snowman is found in one of the books of the 18th century. The 19th century was marked by a “warming” in the relationship between man and snowmen. These winter beauties are becoming good heroes holiday tales, integral attributes New Year cards. And also forever settle in loving children's hearts.
What does the snowman symbolize? And what traditions are associated with the snowman?
IN old times Winter and severe frosts brought a lot of troubles and troubles to people. It was then that a belief arose about the threats that a peculiar snow sculpture could cause to people. That's why snowmen were depicted as huge snow monsters.
Norwegians, for example, were afraid to meet a snowman in the evening. This promised some kind of misfortune. Therefore, even from the window of a cozy house, looking at a snowman was considered a bad omen.
There was also a belief that a snowman made on a full moon could bring misfortune to a person and give him nightmares.
In Rus' they also believed in magical power snowmen. Therefore, they were asked to reduce severe frosts. But since our ancestors believed that snowfalls and blizzards were controlled by female spirits, they sculpted female snow figures in the courtyards - women.
A Christian legend gives us an amazing look at snowmen. It is she who says that snow is a gift from heaven, and snowmen are angels. They have the power to convey people’s prayers and requests to God. Therefore, having built a little snowman, you can whisper your most secret things into his ear. And as soon as the winter miracle melted, the wish was delivered to heaven and would certainly come true.
If suddenly a snow woman plays main role in your fabulous colorful dream, rest assured that great news related to your soulmate awaits you. But if a snowman in a dream caused bad emotions, the news received is unlikely to please you. And spoiling or breaking a snow sculpture means struggling with your own feelings.
Snowman accessories
Europeans have always sought to luxuriously decorate their winter figures. They wrapped her well in scarves, gave her a thick broom and, of course, decorated her with garlands.
Surprisingly, some elements of snowmen have symbolic meaning. For example, a carrot nose could appease the gods of fertility and harvest. A hat in the shape of an inverted bucket promised the family prosperity and wealth. Beads made from heads of garlic (Romanian custom) are able to protect the family from illness and pranksters - evil spirits.
Today, this fun winter activity with snowmen is an integral part of our winter holidays. And snowmen bring only positive emotions, feelings of cloudless childhood and joy.
Snowman Day
By the way, you can honor this handsome snowman on January 18, when Snowman Day is celebrated. Be sure to create a winter miracle and make your deepest wish.
The snowman is the real spirit of winter! Russian winter transforms the world with its frosty breath. Everything becomes like a wonderful fairy tale: white fluffy snow flies, the sleeping earth covered with a winter blanket sparkles in the sun... And in every yard, as if by magic, funny snowmen wrapped in scarves appear.
This fun winter activity has been known to people for centuries. But not many people know what supernatural meaning the snowman had in the past... Find out about it from our article and look at the photos that will surely make your mood festive and inspire your own creativity!
If you believe the old legend, at the end of the 15th century, around 1493, the Italian sculptor, architect and poet Michelangelo Buonarroti first sculpted a snow figure. The image of a snow figure first appeared as an illustration for a children's book with songs published in Leipzig.
The first snowmen were portrayed as evil, ferocious snow monsters of impressive size. This is no coincidence, because in those ancient times, merciless winters with their severe frosts and dank blizzards brought a lot of trouble.
Most likely, it was then that beliefs appeared that snow creatures pose a real threat to people. For example, it was believed that sculpting them during the full moon was dangerous: for a person, disobedience could result in obsessive nightmares, night terrors and, in general, all sorts of failures.
And in Norway there was a legend that it was dangerous to look at a snow figure late in the evening from behind a curtain; In addition, it was considered a bad sign to meet her on your way at night, and it was recommended to avoid her.
It was only in the 19th century that snow creatures “grew up” and soon became an indispensable attribute of Christmas and New Year. Greeting cards featuring a cute, smiling snowman surrounded by cheerful children quickly gained popularity.
According to an ancient European parable, St. Francis of Assisi considered the creation of snow figures as a unique method of fighting demons. And according to another Christian legend, snowmen are angels, because snow is a gift from heaven. This means that the snow man is none other than an angel who can convey people’s requests to God. To do this, they sculpted a snow figure from freshly fallen snow and quietly whispered their desire to it. They believed that as soon as it melted, the request would immediately be delivered to heaven and would soon be fulfilled.
In Europe, snowmen were always made next to houses, generously decorated with garlands and household utensils, wrapped in scarves, and given branchy brooms.
The mystical character is discernible in the details of their attire.
For example, a carrot was attached instead of a nose to appease the spirits who sent harvests and fertility.
An inverted bucket on the head symbolized prosperity in the house.
In Romania, the custom has long been known to decorate a snow figure with beads made from garlic heads: it was believed that this promotes the health of household members and protects them from the mischief of dark forces.
Wonderful children's fairy tales are dedicated to snowmen, the most famous of which is “The Snowman” by H. H. Andersen. In it, the dog told the snowman about his life, about people and about the stove where he loved to warm himself when he was a puppy. And he also had an inexplicable desire to get closer to the stove; it seemed to him that something was moving inside him. All day long, instead of enjoying the biting frost, he was sad, looking at the stove through the window... Spring came, and the snowman melted. And only then was an explanation for his sadness found: he was fixed on a poker, which moved in him at the sight of his native stove.
In Rus', snow figures have been sculpted since ancient pagan times and were revered as the spirits of winter. They, like Santa Claus, were treated with due respect and asked for help and to reduce the duration of severe frosts. By the way, snow women and the Snow Maiden are our Russian heritage.
Our ancestors believed that winter natural phenomena - fog, snow, blizzards - were controlled by female spirits, therefore, to show them their respect, they sculpted snow women. It’s not for nothing that the expressions “mother winter” and “father frost” exist. And the month of January was sometimes even called “snowman”.
Since ancient pagan times, in the understanding of the Russian people (as well as some peoples of Northern Europe), snowmen are angels descended from heaven. After all, snow is a gift from heaven. This means that the snowman is none other than an angel who can convey people’s requests to God. For this, a little snowman was sculpted from freshly fallen snow and their cherished wish was quietly whispered to him. They believed that as soon as the snow figure melted, the wish would immediately be taken to heaven and soon come true.
Cutely smiling toy snowmen have always been especially popular with children. In the glorious Soviet cartoons “The Postman Snowman” and “When the Christmas Trees Light Up,” the snowman acts as Santa Claus’s faithful assistant around the house.
In the Soviet Union, snowmen were artfully painted on greeting cards. It is clear from Soviet greeting cards that the snowman was one of the most beloved New Year's characters.
Today in our civilized world, creating snow figures remains not only a favorite pastime for children, but also a socially organized holiday. Records are being set all over the world for sculpting the largest snowmen.
The tallest snow woman in Europe flaunts on the slopes of a ski resort in Austria, in the city of Galtür: its height has reached 16 meters 70 centimeters.
There is very little left until the New Year. I was thinking about how to close the publications of 2017 and suddenly I saw through the window how children were making a snowman. This year we still have a shortage of snow, but even a small amount of it prompted the children to make a familiar snow figure. I wondered where this symbol of winter came from and what the history of the snowman was.
I am sure that many people associate the figure of a snowman with something kind, cheerful, and joyful. It can not be in any other way. I immediately remember Soviet-era cartoons - “The Postal Snowman”, “When the Christmas Trees Light Up”, where the Snowman is the main assistant to Santa Claus. And postcards from Soviet times often feature a smiling snowman as a symbol of winter and the New Year. 
But everything is not so rosy.
Historical reference books read:
- the author of the first snow figure was the Italian sculptor, architect, poet Michelangelo Buonarroti and this was in 1493
- in the 18th century mention of beautiful snowman huge size was recorded in the European book of records
- The word snowman (“schneeman”) originated in German.
But the first European snowmen were far from friendly; they were made in large sizes in the form of snow monsters. In relatively warm Europe, severe frosts and blizzards rarely occurred. People not accustomed to harsh winters had a hard time enduring such natural disasters. Therefore, the snowman was a symbol of harsh winter, which brings troubles and sometimes a threat to human life and health. 
There were signs regarding snowmen:
- it was impossible to sculpt snow figures on a full moon, this could provoke night terrors, scary dreams and troubles in life
- bad luck will haunt you if you look at a snowman late at night from the window
- It’s a bad sign if you meet a snowman along the way at night, you try to avoid him
- it was forbidden to sculpt figures near churches, in places of execution and in cemeteries
In the 19th century, people rehabilitated snowmen and they became a cheerful attribute of the New Year and Christmas. They began to be considered the owners of courtyards and were placed near houses.
Snowman is a symbol of winter in Rus'
There is no exact date for the appearance of the snowman in Rus', but what we can say for sure is that it was before the advent of Christianity, since a pagan note can be traced in this.
In contrast to the European demonic note, in Rus' it was believed that since snow falls from the sky, then the snowy figure was sent by heaven. In Europe, the figures were exclusively masculine, and in Rus' they believed that they controlled blizzards and snow women's perfume. “Father Frost” and “Mother Winter” were so respectful of the winter period. Therefore, they sculpted both Snowmen and Snow Women. Apparently this is why only our Father Frost has a Snow Maiden.
With the first snow, not one snow figure was sculpted in the courtyards, but three. One was responsible for a snowy, mild winter, the other for the future harvest. The third, the smallest, had a name - Kryshna, from the word roof, she was responsible for happiness in the house. 
The mystical note in the image of the Snowman was present in both Europe and Rus', so they dressed them with meaning:
In Romania, beads were made from garlic heads for a snowman, thereby protecting household members from diseases and evil forces.
Over time, they began to take a simpler approach to outfits; they began to decorate snowmen with hats, scarves and other household utensils.
Snowman Day
From those ancient years to this day, both children and adults have loved creating snow figures. They organize various collective events, for example, in Moscow every year a parade of Snowmen is held at the estate of Father Frost.
There are also record figures:
- On the slopes of a ski resort in Austria, in the city of Galtür, there is a snowman 16 meters 70 centimeters high.
- in the USA in 1999 they made a huge figure with a height of 37 m 20 cm. The construction of such a giant took 6 thousand tons of snow.
International Snowman Day, there is also such a holiday, it is celebrated on January 18th. The idea of the holiday belongs to Cornelius Graetz,to a young man from Germany who collected more than 3,000 images of snowmen. His collection was included in the Guinness Book of Records in 2008.He suggested the date 18, because it looks like a snowman, and January, because at this time there is snow in many countries.
We can celebrate this day twice, because in Russia it is celebrated on February 28th.
This is the story of the origin of the snowman, the symbol of winter and the New Year.
New Year's greetings
The New Year is already on the threshold, and this is the time to make wishes, the time to believe that nothing is impossible! 
Since a snowman is a gift from heaven, according to ancient legend they were considered winter angels who could convey people's requests to God. I had to make a figurine out of fresh snow and whisper my wish to him. It was believed that as soon as the figurine melted, the wish would be taken upstairs and soon come true. 
So take your children and grandchildren, build snowmen, and let all your plans come true. And while you are here, I suggest you play and find the panda in the picture among the snowmen. 
I sincerely congratulate you on the New Year to those who accidentally looked at this page, to the readers of the blog “By the Fireplace” and to my friends that I made thanks to my blog.
I wish you all a happy celebration New Year's celebration. 2018 to eastern calendar Year of the Dog, let it be a faithful helper and friend for you, protect you from troubles. I wish you happiness and health in the new year, may it be remembered for great achievements, happy events, pleasant surprises. May you be surrounded by the love and care of your loved ones.
Congratulate your loved ones and friends on the New Year by sending an original audio greeting to your phone.
Elena Kasatova.
See you by the fireplace in 2018.
With the arrival of winter, everything becomes like a wonderful fairy tale, and funny snow men wrapped in scarves appear in every yard, as if by magic. This fun winter idea has been known to people for centuries, but not many people know what supernatural meaning was attached to snowmen in the past...
If you believe the old legend, at the end of the 15th century, around 1493, the Italian sculptor, architect and poet Michelangelo Buonarroti first sculpted a snow figure.
According to historical research, the first written mention of a snowman is found in an 18th-century book: it talks about a “beautiful snowman” of gigantic proportions. And the word “schneeman” itself, that is, “snowman”, originally appeared in the German language.
The image of a snow figure first appeared as an illustration for a children's book with songs published in Leipzig.
The first snowmen were portrayed as evil, ferocious snow monsters of impressive size. This is no coincidence, because in those ancient times, merciless winters with their severe frosts and dank blizzards brought a lot of trouble.
Most likely, it was then that beliefs appeared that snow creatures pose a real threat to people. For example, it was believed that sculpting them during the full moon was dangerous: for a person, disobedience could result in obsessive nightmares, night terrors and, in general, all sorts of failures. And in Norway there was a legend that it was dangerous to look at a snow figure late in the evening from behind a curtain;
It was only in the 19th century that snow creatures “grew up” and soon became an indispensable attribute of Christmas and New Year. Greeting cards featuring a cute, smiling snowman surrounded by cheerful children quickly gained popularity. It is curious that in the minds of European peoples, a snowman is always a male creature; they never had snow women or snow maidens. In English there is only one word for it - snowman.
According to an ancient European parable, St. Francis of Assisi considered the creation of snow figures as a unique method of fighting demons. And according to another Christian legend, snowmen are angels, because snow is a gift from heaven. This means that the snow man is none other than an angel who can convey people’s requests to God. To do this, they sculpted a snow figure from freshly fallen snow and quietly whispered their desire to it. They believed that as soon as it melted, the request would immediately be delivered to heaven and would soon be fulfilled.
In Europe, snowmen were always made next to houses, generously decorated with garlands and household utensils, wrapped in scarves, and given branchy brooms. The mystical character is discernible in the details of their attire. For example, a carrot was attached instead of a nose to appease the spirits who sent harvests and fertility. An inverted bucket on the head symbolized prosperity in the house. In Romania, the custom has long been known to decorate a snow figure with beads made from garlic heads: it was believed that this promotes the health of household members and protects them from the mischief of dark forces.
Wonderful children's fairy tales are dedicated to snowmen, the most famous of which is “The Snowman” by H. H. Andersen. In it, the dog told the snowman about his life, about people and about the stove where he loved to warm himself when he was a puppy. And he also had an inexplicable desire to get closer to the stove; it seemed to him that something was moving inside him. All day long, instead of enjoying the biting frost, he was sad, looking at the stove through the window... Spring came, and the snowman melted. And only then was an explanation for his sadness found: he was fixed on a poker, which moved in him at the sight of his native stove.
Photo: Blue Popovic
Hero of another kind German fairy tale, Der Wunsh des braunen Schneemannes ("The Brown Snowman's Dream") Mandy Vogel is a chocolate snowman. He dreams of seeing snow, and his friend, the boy Tim, takes him outside. The snowman is delighted with the white winter day and children's snowball fights. In the end, he himself is covered with snow and sincerely rejoices at this, thinking that now he is as white as everyone else around him. But Tim, seeing that his fabulous brown friend is still far from perfect whiteness, does not dare to disturb his happiness.
In Rus', snow figures have been sculpted since ancient pagan times and were revered as the spirits of winter. They, like Santa Claus, were treated with due respect and asked for help and to reduce the duration of severe frosts. By the way, snow women and the Snow Maiden are our Russian heritage.
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