Snowman

A snowman (☃) is a Sculpture of Neige compacts, with human appearance, and of very variable size. Like the Castle of sand, the snowman belongs to the category of the transitory Art.

History

The first written occurrences attesting the existence of snowmen date from the 16th century (for example at Shakespeare). The popular character then appears in a collection of counting rhymes in 1770, with Leipzig. It is only at the beginning of the 20th century that the snowman is associated with the festivals of end of the year, and becomes a figurine of the Christmas tree.

Clothes industry

The construction of a snowman is a leisure for children and adults, generally practiced during the periods of the year when snow is available in abundance.

In the Occidental culture, and the northern hemisphere, the snowman is a symbol associated with Christmas and the Hiver.

A snowman is generally composed of two or three large piled up snowballs the ones on the others. The first, which is also largest, acted as body. The smallest snowball, placed all in top, represents the head. The details of the face and the body are added thereafter: a Fruit or a Vegetable (traditionally a Carrot) as a Nose, of the brushwood, stones or the coins to represent the mouth, the arms and the eyes. One can also equip the snowman by rolling up to him a scarf around the neck, by putting a bonnet or a Chapeau to him on the head and of the buttons of coat on the belly. A brush can to possibly be him put in the arms, a Pipe with the mouth, Sunglasses on the eyes, etc

The abominable man of snows indicates the Yéti.

Regional anecdotes

  • In Lithuania, snowman says “man without brain”. In winter 2005, to protest against their government, of the Lithuanians 141 snowmen built in front of their Parlement for each one of their deputies.
  • With the Japan, one tends more to put a Seau turned over on the head of the snowmen as a hat (as one can see it in many Manga S, animate and video games). The snowman names Yuki Daruma (雪だるま - “Daruma of snow”) i.e. this figure is strongly connected to the Bouddhisme.

Snowmen in the fiction

  • Bouli , a French animated series which tells the adventures of small snowmen in a magic country;

  • Jack Frost (1998), a film with Michael Keaton where its character finds himself réincarné out of snowman living after an car accident;
  • Jack Frost (1996), a homonymous film of horror where an insane killer finds himself transformed into mutant snowman;
  • Turnip , a Manga Japanese in which Rained, the small pet of the hero, is a species of snowman.

Photograph gallery

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