World Snowman Day Date in the current year: January 18, 2026

A snowman is a simple, human-shaped snow sculpture that usually consists of two or three large snowballs of different sizes: two snowballs represent the head and body, while three represent the head, torso, and lower body. It typically has branches for arms and a carrot for a nose, as well as a mouth and eyes made of stones, coals, or buttons. Snowmen may also wear clothing, such as hats, scarves, and mittens.

Building snowmen is a common winter tradition in regions with sufficient snowfall. However, not all weather is suitable for building snowmen. When it’s too cold, the snow is too powdery to stick together, so it’s difficult to make snowballs. The ideal weather for making a snowman is a warm afternoon after a big snowfall, when the temperature approaches the snow’s melting point.

While it is unclear when people first started building snowmen, the tradition has existed since at least the Middle Ages. In his 2007 book titled The History of the Snowman, American cartoonist and author Bob Eckstein mentions an early depiction of a snowman from 1380. In 1494, the ruler of Florence, Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici, commissioned the up-and-coming artist Michelangelo to create a snow statue – in other words, a snowman. However, we doubt that Michelangelo’s snowman resembled the ones we make today. The earliest known photograph of a snowman was taken by Welsh photographer Mary Dillwyn in 1853.

Since at least the early 20th century, snowmen have been a popular theme for winter holiday decorations and children’s media. Their popularity in North American culture was further boosted by the 1950 song “Frosty the Snowman”. Today, people in countries with heavy snowfall in the winter tend to associate snowmen with the holidays and happy childhood memories, which are made even more precious by the fact that we have fewer and fewer opportunities to build snowmen every year due to global warming.

In 2010, German artist and snowman-themed object collector Cornelius Grätz created World Snowman Day to celebrate the number one winter symbol that is widely known even in regions where there is no snow. Moreover, unlike Santa Claus, the snowman has no religious or cultural associations, making it even more universal. Since its inception, documented World Snowman Day celebrations have been held in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Japan, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, and even Spain, despite its warm climate.

The best way to celebrate World Snowman Day is to build a snowman outside. However, if the snow isn’t ideal or there is none at all, there are other ways to celebrate. For example, you can focus on the concept rather than the material and make snowman-themed crafts or treats with simple ingredients like cheese balls, marshmallows, or macaroons. You could also throw a snowman-themed party, host a movie marathon, or read stories featuring snowmen to your children.