What is a snowman? Snowman - a symbol of winter

Eremenko Olga Sergeevna

Each of us at least once in our lives sculpted from snow a little man with a carrot instead of a nose and coal eyes. Since childhood, everyone has loved one of the popular characters of the New Year holidays - Snowman. But few people were interested history the emergence of this creature. Where does it come from, why is it round and why does it consist of three lumps snow. However, even historians and researchers folk art cannot answer these questions unambiguously. There are several versions, hypotheses, legends. Having put everything together, I want to introduce you to this information.

Snowman or Snow Woman is a snow sculpture created by children and adults in the yard in winter. As you can see, they are also divided by gender, although only in Russia, since among Europeans snowman- this is always a male creature; they never had snowwomen. In English there is only one word for it - "snowman"- snow man.

simplest snowman consists of three snow globes (lumps obtained by sculpting snowballs and rolling the one lying on them snow. The biggest lump becomes a belly snowman, the smaller ones - with the chest, and the smallest - with the head. The implementation of other parts of the body may vary if, for example, you decided to sculpt a woman and added female breasts to her.

Hands snowman may be represented by two branches, but sometimes symbolic hands are made from two small lumps snow. IN "hands" snowman often given a shovel or broom, which is stuck into snow next to the figure. Sometimes snowman equipped with two feet made of snow lumps, as if peeking out from under the skirt of his fur coat.

All people think that the nose snowman was made from carrots (carrots were well preserved until winter in peasant farms, but in modern conditions The carrot nose can be replaced by an icicle, a banana, and even long coals or sticks.

Other facial features are indicated with pebbles or coals, and sometimes with watercolors.

Classic headdress snowman- a leaky bucket. Sometimes snowman wrap a scarf around your neck and "suit" placed vertically "buttons" from coals and pebbles.

Who is he? I would like to point out that the true meaning snowmen are forgotten, because their modeling was originally a mystical ritual. According to old legend, snowmen introduced into use by the Catholic saint, founder - Francis of Assisi, who believed the creation snowmen a unique method of fighting demons. In sculpting snowman a prototype of the creation of man is discerned, only now the act of creation belongs to man himself. Snowmen with brooms - weapons they were guards of the home, not letting evil spirits in there.

Snowmen They were always sculpted next to houses, generously decorated with garlands, vegetables or already unnecessary household utensils. For example, a nose in the shape of a carrot was attached to appease the spirits who sent harvests and fertility. An inverted bucket on the head symbolized prosperity in the house. However, there are legends that the first snowmen were portrayed as evil, ferocious snow monsters that arose in those ancient times when Europe had merciless winters with severe frosts and blizzards, which brought a lot of trouble, mainly to rural residents.

Then the beliefs appeared that made from snow"little men" can pose a real threat to people. According to these beliefs, it was impossible to sculpt snowmen on full moon day, you couldn’t hand them a broom. And if, nevertheless, this happened, then it was necessary to destroy snowman before nightfall, otherwise it can result in obsessive nightmares, night terrors, loss of energy and headaches. But according to another, early Christian legend snowmen were considered angels, after all snow falls from the sky, which means it is a gift from God, therefore snowman, like an angel, could convey human requests and pleas to God. Therefore, it was believed that if from freshly fallen snow, make a snowman figurine and whisper a wish to him, then when the snow figure melts, the wish will be fulfilled.

Snowman in Rus'

In Rus' snowmen and snow women have been sculpted since ancient pagan times. Snowmen revered as the spirits of winter, they, like Frost, were asked for help, mercy and to reduce the duration of the cold. The snow woman was born from a legend dating back to the myths of the Indo-European peoples about feminine. Our ancestors believed that the air was inhabited by female spirits who controlled the winter mists, snow and blizzards. These spirits seemed portly and majestic. In their honor, the pagans held rituals and, expressing their respect to them, sculpted female snow figures. Therefore, the snow woman has a broom in her hands so that she can fly to the sky where she lives. From this we can conclude that if next to snowman has a broom, then he is a woman! In Russian fairy tales, the image of the Snow Woman was later transformed into the kind Mother Winter. By the way, the granddaughter of Santa Claus - Snow Maiden, also blinded from snow.

Interesting facts: snow creatures only in the 19th century "better" and have become an indispensable attribute of Christmas and New Year, a kind of symbol of the winter holidays. Modeling snowmen has become a popular children's winter fun.

An image of someone we know snowman- the good guy first appeared as an illustration for a children's book with songs.

Snowmen, by the way, are dedicated to wonderful children's fairy tales. Among the most famous is the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen « Snowman» and a German fairy tale by Mandy Vogel "Brown's Dream snowman» . And on January 18, the whole world celebrates the Day of Snowman. This is a great opportunity to make a cute one snowman and whisper to him about your desire. Here we are with the guys kindergarten №56 "Teremok" from the group "Cheburashka" decided to make not only from snow, but also to make various snowmen and whisper your wishes to them. What we want you to do is make your own snowman and make your wishes!

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 this 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.

And only in the 19th century did the snow creatures “grow 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 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. According to Soviet greeting cards It is clear 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.

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 a book of the 18th century: 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; 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. 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 snowman 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
The hero of another good German fairy tale, Der Wunsh des braunen Schneemannes (“The Brown Snowman’s Dream”) by 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 playing snowballs. 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.

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.

2:4

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 this from our article and look at the photos that will surely make your mood festive and inspire your own creativity!

According to the old legend, at the end of the 15th century, around 1493, 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 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.

And 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.

And only in the 19th century did the snow creatures “grow 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 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 snowman 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 handed branchy brooms.

The mystical character is discernible in the details of their attire.

For example, carrots Instead of a nose, they were attached to appease the spirits who send harvests and fertility.

Upside Down Bucket on the head symbolized prosperity in the house.

In 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.

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.

8:4

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.

10:4

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 “Snowman-Postman”, “When the Christmas Trees Light Up” the snowman acts as Santa Claus's faithful assistant around the house.

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.

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.

And 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.

We 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!

Find time to enjoy winter and be sure to build your own snowman! Happy holiday!