Snowmen & Christmas Cards: The Origins of a Tradition

If you have young children, then you’ve probably heard the familiar jingle “Frosty, the Snowman” more than once in your life – sometimes more than once a day. Frosty and other snowmen seem to have become a popular Christmas tradition. Just look at some of these examples of holiday cards: Plump Snowman, Snowman Family, Snowman with Stars, or Snowman Greeting.

How did the snowman become a symbol of the holidays – not just in the United States but in many parts of the world? Let’s take a look into this snowy creature’s past.

The Beginning of a Symbol

Since the first snowfall, people would have been capable of building snowmen. In fact, we have no way of knowing exactly how old the practice really is.  What we do know is that snowmen were being built after snowfalls in Europe as long ago as the Middle Ages. In fact, people in the Western cultures all have been known to build snowmen and, interestingly, they do not look all that different.  The snowmen in Russia look a lot like the snowmen in the U. S.

What really made the snowman “come to life” in a manner of speaking was a song that told one of the most famous stories of all time: the story of Frosty the Snowman who came to life with the help of a magic hat. The song was co-written by Walter Robbins, who also wrote the memorable “Peter Cottontail” in 1949. “Frosty” was first recorded in 1950 by Gene Autry. His version of the song went all the way to number seven on the pop charts.

The Continuation of the Story

What makes Frosty’s success as a holiday icon unusual is that the song never once mentions Christmas. The only connection is that Christmas is often snowy and snow is needed to create Frosty.

That little detail didn’t stop dozens of other artists from doing their versions of the song during the last 57 years. The version recorded by Kimberly Locke, a former American Idol contestant, in 2007 hit the highest spot on the billboard charts: it reached #1.

Of course Frosty could not stay a song forever. Eventually, his story was adapted for the small screen in a television special called “Frosty, the Snowman.” The 30-minute show has become a staple of Christmas broadcasting even though it first aired all the way back in 1969. Two legitimate sequels – “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” (1976) and “Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July” (1979) were later created and aired. More recent televised versions have also been shown on television.

The universal snowman became a hit character who continues to delight children all these years later and who has become a highlight of the Christmas season. He’s definitely worth celebrating this year.