Today's Snowman: Snowden Snowman Winner

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Snowden Snowman Winner

Congratulations to the winning snowman, Tirehead in this month's snowman contest, the last of 2008 made by Alicia, Jeremy, Jesse, & Matty and photo by Jaci! They have won a signed copy of The History of the Snowman book and a year supply of snow. Alicia's acceptance speech; "Thanks to all our snowman fans!"

Today's Snowman's monthly snowman contest will resume in January 2009. Prizes next year will include official snowman calendar and mugs.

How does one person know so much?

There is no such thing as stupid answers, only stupid questions. Want to know who was the first snowman in space? What's a good name for snowmen? Boxers or briefs? So go ahead and ask the snowman expert. All questions will used based on space and appropriate content.

Dear snowman expert,
Why do they hold brooms? Thanks,
– Lori Sanders,
Kings County, California

Dear Lori, excellent question. You actually have me stumped. All I can say is that the earliest engravings I found from around 1790 up to the 1840s showed snowmen made from found objects around the farm; baskets and buckets for hats and either canes, sticks or brooms stuck in their body. I have been unable to trace any meaning or symbolism by this choice except to say it seems kids figured out that an object like a broom could easily be stuck into the snowman's torso. Incidentally, my favorite Charles Addams' cartoon is of a snowman lying down (dead) with a broom stuck through him (found in The History of the Snowman, pg. 86).
– The Snowman Expert

Is there anything you can do to prolong a snowman's life, or is it up to Mother Nature?
– Hallmark Magazine

There is no special way of treating your snowman from the effects of the sun's rays. While sun-block will not work, an umbrella will prolong his life. Plus the bigger the snowman is, the longer it will take him to melt, unless you make a very small snowman. In that case it can be stored in your freezer. The world's largest snowman, Angus King of the Mountain of Bethel, Maine took over 15 weeks to melt. A charity raffle was conducted to guess as to when Angus would be totally melted.
– The Snowman Expert