Snowman meaning. Snowman is a dark matter

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Historical reference books read: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 enormous size was recorded in European book records
• the word snowman (“schneeman”) arose 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 they rarely happened very coldy and blizzards. 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 male, but in Rus' they believed that female spirits controlled blizzards and snow. “Father Frost” and “Mother Winter” were so respectful of the winter period. Therefore, they sculpted both Snowmen and Snow Women. Apparently that’s 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 love to create 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.

The snowman is the divine father of the Snow Maiden,
God the Son of the pagan Father Frost Father Frost
and the divine Snow Blizzard
(From the book “Dictionaries of Russian Myths and Fairy Tales”)

Richard Cowdrey.
Not just a snowman, but a 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...


Salnikova Elena.
In Rus', snowmen have been sculpted since ancient pagan times and were revered as the spirits of winter. They, like Frost, 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 in winter natural phenomena(fogs, snows, blizzards) are commanded 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 in some places the month of January was called “snowman”.


D.R. Laird.
Russian people have long called their figures sculpted from snow “snowmen”, “snow maidens” and “snow women” (in those ancient times the word “baba” did not have the current rough meaning and corresponded to modern word"woman"). But in the presentation European peoples a snowman is always a male creature; they never had snow women or snow maidens. IN English language There is only one word to describe it - “snowman”.


D.R. Laird.
In Rus' they believed that little snowmen are angels to whom you can entrust your dream... 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.


Kim Norlien.
Cutely smiling toy snowmen have always been especially popular with children. For our people, the snowman is one of the favorites New Year's characters. In glorious Soviet cartoons“The Snowman-Postman”, “When the Christmas Trees Are Lighted”, the snowman acts as Santa Claus’s faithful assistant around the house. In the Soviet Union, snowmen were skillfully painted on greeting cards. It is clear from Soviet greeting cards that the snowman was one of the most beloved New Year's characters.


In Europe, according to an old legend, a snow figure was first sculpted by the Italian sculptor, architect, and poet Michelangelo Buonarroti at the end of the 15th century, around 1493. According to historical research, the first European 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 snowman first appeared as an illustration for a children's book with songs published in Leipzig.


D.R. Laird.
The first European snowmen were usually sculpted in the form of evil, ferocious snow monsters of impressive size. This is not accidental, because in those ancient times, severe winters with severe frosts and merciless dank blizzards that sometimes occurred in relatively warm Europe brought people a lot of trouble. It was then, under the influence of Christianity, which saw snowmen as pagan man-made idols, that beliefs appeared in Europe according to which snowmen pose a real threat to people.


They thought that it was dangerous to sculpt them during periods of the full moon: for a person this could result in obsessive nightmares, night terrors, and generally all sorts of failures. And in Norway there was a legend that it was dangerous to look at snowmen late in the evening from behind a curtain. In addition, it was considered a bad sign to encounter a snowy figure at night: it was recommended to avoid it. According to an old European parable, Saint Francis of Assisi considered the creation of snowmen and their subsequent destruction as a unique method of fighting demons.


Tom Sierak.
Only in the 19th century, when dogmas began to lose their former influence, European snow creatures “mellowed 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.


Anton Pik. Snowman.
In Europe and Rus', snowmen were always sculpted next to houses as fairy-tale owners of the yard, generously decorated with garlands and household utensils, wrapped in scarves, and given branchy brooms in their hands. A mystical character can be discerned in the details of their “robes”. For example, a carrot-shaped nose was attached to appease pagan spirits who sent harvests and fertility. An inverted bucket on the head symbolized prosperity in the house. In Romania, there has long been a known custom of decorating a snowman with “beads” made from garlic heads. It was believed that this promotes the health of household members and protects them from leprosy dark force.


V. Kirdiy.
Wonderful children's fairy tales are dedicated to snowmen. The most famous is the fairy tale by H. H. Andersen “The Snowman”. The dog tells the snowman about his life, about people and about the stove where he loved to warm himself when he was a puppy. And the snowman 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 bitter 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: the snowman was fixed on a poker, which moved in him at the sight of his native stove.


Kim Jong Bok.
Hero of another kind German fairy tale Mandy Vogel "Der Wunsh des braunen Schneemannes" ("The Brown Snowman's Dream") - 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, the chocolate snowman himself becomes covered in snow, he sincerely rejoices at this, thinking that now he is as white as everyone else. But Tim, seeing that his fabulous brown friend is still far from perfect whiteness, does not dare to disturb his happiness.


Shageev Eduard. Kingdom of the Snowmen.
In our civilized world, creating snow figures not only remains a favorite pastime for children, but has also become a socially organized holiday. Records are being set all over the world for sculpting the tallest snowmen. The tallest snowman 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. And the record for creating the tallest snowman in the world was set in the United States of America in 1999, its height is 37 meters 20 centimeters, and its weight is 6 thousand tons of snow.
text - dvorec.ru


Kestutis Kasparavicius.


Wendy Edelson.


Wendy Edelson.


Wendy Edelson.


Carl Larsson.


Wendy Edelson.

Holly Hanley.


Shepetko Elena. Let's make a snowman.

SNOWMAN: THE HISTORY OF THE SYMBOL OF WINTER AND THE NEW YEAR The presentation was made by the senior teacher of the Center for Religious Development - kindergarten No. 26 Averina N.L.

What's winter without a snowman?! Big and small, kind and funny, with carrots for a nose and an old bucket on their head, they are born, as if by magic, in city and village courtyards, lovingly molded and rolled by the palms of children and adults. How many snowmen appear around us during the winter? Hundreds! You look, and every time you are surprised by the imagination, originality and originality of thinking of the “sculptors”! 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...

If you believe the old legend, at the end of the 15th century, around 1493, the Italian sculptor, architect, 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 snowman 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 severe frosts and dank blizzards brought a lot of trouble. Most likely, it was then that beliefs appeared that snowmen pose a real threat to people. They thought that it was dangerous to sculpt them during the full moon: for a person, disobedience could result in obsessive nightmares, night terrors, and generally all sorts of failures. And in Norway there was a legend that it was dangerous to look at snowmen late in the evening from behind a curtain. In addition, it was considered a bad sign to encounter a snowy figure at night: it was recommended to avoid it.

Only in the 19th century did the snow creatures “get older” 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 old European parable, Saint Francis of Assisi considered the creation of snowmen to be a unique method of fighting demons. And according to another Christian legend, snowmen are angels. 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 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.

In Europe, snowmen were always made next to houses, generously decorated with garlands and household utensils, wrapped in scarves, and given branchy brooms. A mystical character can be discerned in the details of their “robes”. 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. In Romania, there has long been a known custom of decorating a snowman with “beads” made from garlic heads. It was believed that this promoted 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 is the fairy tale by H. H. Andersen “The Snowman”. The dog tells the snowman about his life, about people and about the stove where he loved to warm himself when he was a puppy. And the snowman 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 bitter 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: the snowman was fixed on a poker, which moved in him at the sight of his native stove.

The hero of another good German fairy tale by Mandy Vogel, “The Dream of the Brown Snowman,” 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 the children's snowball fights. In the end, the chocolate snowman himself is covered with snow, he sincerely rejoices at this, thinking that now he is as white as everyone 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', snowmen have been sculpted since ancient pagan times and were revered as the spirits of winter. They, like Frost, 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 expression “mother winter”, “father frost” exists. And the month of January was sometimes even called that – “snowman”. For our people, the snowman is one of the favorite New Year's characters. In the glorious Soviet cartoons “The Postman Snowman” and “When the Christmas Trees Light Up,” the snowman appears as Santa Claus’ faithful assistant

Snowman - as a symbol of the New Year is depicted on greeting cards

The tallest snowman in Europe The tallest snowman in the USA Today, in our civilized world, the creation of snow figures remains not only a favorite pastime for children, but also a socially organized holiday. All over the world, records are being set for sculpting the tallest snowmen, which flaunts on the slopes of the ski resort in Austria, in the city of Galtür: its height has 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 is 37 meters 20 centimeters, and its weight is 6 thousand tons of snow.

The “Snowman Parade” is being held in Moscow. For several years in a row, the annual “Snowman Parade” competition has been held in the estate of Father Frost in Kuzminsky Park in Moscow. Our snow figures may only be as tall as a person, but their number (several dozen) is very impressive! We are not lagging behind in this matter either!

The smallest snowman British scientist David Cox from the London National Physical Laboratory created the smallest snowman in the world. This snowman is 5 times thinner than a human hair, the diameter of the balls is less than 0.01mm. To consider this interesting snowman, you will need a microscope. A scientist made a snowman from two tiny tin circles. David Cox made the funny snowman's eyes and smile using a focused beam of ions; he used the ions to attach his platinum nose.

January 18 International Snowman Day Such a great idea came to the mind of collector Cornelius Grötz from Germany. He began collecting snowman images as a young man and entered the Guinness Book of Records with his collection in 2008! It has more than three thousand exhibits! And all these are Snowmen! And this collector suggested celebrating Snowman Day. Cornelius thought this way: Firstly, in mid-January there is snow in many countries. Secondly, the number 18 looks like a Snowman holding a broom. Thirdly, fortunately, there was no international holiday on this day yet! In addition, the Snowman can become a symbol for actions in defense of environment, after all, Snowmen are terribly afraid of warming. It will become warmer everywhere, the snow will disappear, and with it the Snowman. In Russia, Snowman Day is celebrated on February 28, so we are lucky: we have the opportunity to celebrate twice!!! This day is a good reason to get together with the whole family and have fun.

Poems about a snowman by M. Boykov The kids got flushed - Rolled three balls! They were stacked on top of each other, And they piled up a bucket. The nose is a carrot, the coal is eyes, The snowman is from a children's fairy tale! Hands are branches, mouth is candy... Let him stand now until summer! Snow Woman A. Brodsky We made a snow woman to perfection. For glory, for glory, for her own amusement. She looks at us with black eyes, As if laughing with two embers. Although our woman is standing with a broom, But don’t let her seem evil to you. We put a bucket on her instead of a hat... Playing with the snow woman more fun. Snowman Tatyana Gusarova The yard is full of snow. I made a snowman. Arms, legs, head, carrot nose, two eyes. I’ll paint a mouth. Let it please the people!

The Adventure of the Snowman by O. Korneev Once upon a time there was a Snowman: His mouth was a blade of grass, his nose was a twig. All the animals were friends with him, They often came to visit. He once walked past a Christmas tree, And wolves met him! He heard them whispering: - Branches Bend it lower! - The four of us will quickly cut down this tree with an ax! - These trees are of no use, Only wounds from needles! The snowman was not at a loss. He immediately rushed through the forest: - Hey, little animals, help, Save our tree! The animals came running to the tree. Well, and the wolves They got scared and ran away. Well done, Snowman! Snowman V. Stepanov One - hand, two - hand - We sculpt a snowman! Three - four, three - four, Let's draw the mouth wider! Five - let's find carrots for the nose, Find coals for the eyes. Six - put on the hat askew, Let him laugh us. Seven and eight, seven and eight, We will ask him to dance. Nine - ten - snowman Over the head - somersault!!! What a circus!

Snowman T. Marshalova Snowman, carrot nose, Went out into the cold in the morning. Took a shovel to remove the snow, Took a broom to sweep, Took a sled to go to the forest and bring firewood. And then bake a gingerbread, Invite a bunny, Teddy bear, a squirrel and a hedgehog to visit ,Sparrow and bullfinch. Come, forest people! The snowman is waiting for you to visit. L. Shaitanova What are you standing and waiting for, my friend: A lump, a lump and a lump? The coals are eyes, the nose is a carrot, And you hold the whisk deftly. I feel great here, At the door New Year knocking, Grandfather Frost and the blizzard They are making a friend for me Snowman V. Chernyaeva We made a snowball... - You will be a snowman! On top we will put two. The top one is the head. The nose is a carrot. This is one! Two - glass instead of eyes. And with beets, when counting “three!”, we draw a mouth. Look! The legs are sneakers, the arms are branches. We took the skis from Svetka... The snowman smiled and skied off into the forest.

Snowman. To see the carrot-nose, the moon has risen above him. On his head is a bucket, in his hand is a broom. They ring quietly my door, A he stands, not breathing. His button eyes don’t tremble... Can’t he really hear? But at midnight the rooster’s crow grew to the very stars, And at that very moment my snowman rubbed his nose with his palm. He waved his broom, stepped on the ice, and now he’s dancing and singing, And then Jolly Santa Claus follows at his heels. Walter De La Mare (translated by V. Lunin).

Riddles about the snowman A difficult man: Appears in winter, and in spring disappears, Because it melts quickly. He appeared in the yard in the cold December. Clumsy and funny, standing at the skating rink with a broom. Our friend is used to the winter wind... We made a snowball, put a hat on it, attached a nose, and in an instant it turned out... What an absurd man made his way into the twenty-first century. Carrot nose, broom in hand, Afraid of the sun and heat. Carrot nose, broom in hand, Afraid of snow and heat.

Sources http://www.liveinternet.ru/ http://www.razumniki.ru http://www.tvoyrebenok.ru/

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 become good heroes of holiday fairy 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 cozy home 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 figure. 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.