Snowman

A classic snowman.

For other uses, see the sculptures made of snow.

A snowman is a man-like sculpture made of snow. Snowmen are usually constructed by children, however, adults sometimes also participate.

History

In occidental cultures and the northern hemisphere, snowmen are considered a symbol of Christmas and winter for many. It is a decoration constructed by the young at heart, and is usually more meaningful than the use of store bought decorations. This often sparks competition between youths (and even adults) who want to have the best snowman on the street. It is possible to buy snowmen from stores made of a variety of non-perishable materials such as plastic and cardboard.

There is also a snowman character in the Unicode character representations. (U+2603; ☃)

Construction

File:Snowmen moscow.jpg

Snowman installation on Moscow's Arbat Street

A snowman is usually constructed of two or three balls of snow, layered one on top of the other. The bottom ball is the largest, and another slightly smaller one makes up the body in a three-ball snowman, or the head in a two-ball. Another smaller ball is added on top to represent the head of a three-ball snowman.

It is nearly impossible to build a snowman out of any type of snow other than packing snow. Packing snow is formed when regular powder snow comes near its melting point and becomes moist and compactable. This allows for the construction of large balls of snow by simply rolling a ball of snow until it grows the desired size. Attempting to make a snowman out of powdered snow is extremely difficult since it will not stick to itself. And if packing snow is not rolled into snowballs before it freezes, it will form an unusable denser form of powdered snow called crust. Thus the best time to build a snowman is usually in the next warmest afternoon directly following a snowfall with a sufficient amount of snow.

The common trend is to then dress the snowman, usually with rocks, wood sticks, and vegetables. Carrots are often used for the nose, as are wood sticks for arms. Some like to dress their snowmen in clothing (scarves, jackets, hats). Dressing a snowman in clothing insulates the snowman by keeping out the heat, which means a longer life for the snowman. However many prefer not to risk leaving supplies out doors where they can easily be stolen. Also, snowmen usually melt quite quickly on a hot day, which could cause clothing to become stuck under melting ice if not removed promptly.

There are variations to these standard forms. These other types range from snow columns to elaborate snow sculptures (similar to ice sculptures).

In fiction

• Bouli, a French animated series about a snowman's adventures in a magical place.
• Der Schneemann, a 1943 animated short film created by the Nazis as propaganda material.
• Jack Frost (1998 film) a movie with Michael Keaton in which he wakes up as a snowman after a car accident.
• Jack Frost (1996 film) an horror movie in which a serial killer is transformed into a snowman.
• Rave Master a Japanese manga in which Plue, the hero's companion, resembles a small snowman.
• The Snowman British picture book (1978) by Raymond Briggs and animation (1982) directed by Dianne Jackson about a boy who builds a snowman that comes alive and takes him to the North Pole.
• Frosty, the eponymous snowman in the popular children's song Frosty The Snowman, had a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal.
• Calvin and Hobbes, an American cartoon by Bill Watterson, contains many instances of Calvin building snowmen, many of which are deformed or otherwise abnormal.

See also

• Snow
• Yeti