Koning Winter: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Finally, real wintertime. It is just a pity that it didn't start during Christmas and the Christmas holidays. Many a child has never seen snow. Are you enjoying the snow, or is it actually a nuisance because you had to wait for hours at Schiphol? In this blog, we look through the eyes of Hendrick Avercamp, the Norwegian Christmas stamps (2025), December stamps 2022, the snowmen, and the 15th Elfstedentocht on January 4, 1997.

Hendrick Avercamp

When we see snow-covered fields, rooftops, and streets, we quickly conjure up a typically Dutch atmosphere. An atmosphere we recognize, among other things, from old paintings. Hendrick Avercamp (1585-1634) specialized in creating winter landscapes.

Avercamp was the first Dutch artist to specialize in capturing winter landscapes and ice skating. The painter's winter works are now famous both at home and abroad. In our time, winters by no means always bring ice skating fun. Avercamp, however, certainly had his fill of that in his day. After all, he lived during the so-called Little Ice Age (c. 1550–1850), during which canals, lakes, and rivers were regularly covered with a thick layer of ice. Moreover, in the winter of 1607-1608, Avercamp witnessed an exceptionally severe frost. Waterways froze over for extended periods, and parts of the Wadden Sea were also covered in ice. That winter, one of the coldest in decades, likely served as an important source of inspiration for his early winter landscapes, according to art experts. Through his works, Avercamp depicts not only the fun of being on the ice but also everyday life during the long, cold winters. For instance, he painted a woodcutter having to heat his house and a woman doing laundry in ice-cold water. It is noteworthy, incidentally, that it actually never snows in Avercamp’s winter scenes. Unlike some contemporaries, the artist did not place so much emphasis on the hardships of winter in his works, but rather on life and entertainment on the ice. Source: Historiek.  

Norway, Christmas stamps 2025

Nostalgia in a snow globe The human fascination with snow globes originates in a longing for the simple pleasures of childhood. A snow globe often contains a miniature scene, such as a model of a city or a figure, and is filled with water into which “snow” falls when the globe is shaken. It is often associated with childhood, popular culture, or kitsch, but has also piqued the interest of contemporary artists who have transformed it into a postmodern souvenir.

The history of the snow globe dates back to the 19th century. At the 1878 World's Fair in Paris, snow globes were described as paperweights with a white powder that mimicked falling snow. The Austrian inventor Erwin Perzy popularized the snow globe at the end of the 19th century when he was attempting to develop a bright operating lamp. The effect reminded him of snowfall, which inspired him to create his first snow globe. Due to high demand, he and his brother opened a shop in Vienna, where production continues to this day as a family business that exports snow globes worldwide. Source: Norwegian Post.  

Netherlands, December stamps 2022

The snow globe According to Miriam Bos: The snow globe I made for PostNL’s December stamps (2022) felt like the perfect subject to add to the collection. If there is anything that evokes the holidays, it is a snow globe like this. And the nice thing about it was that it gave me the opportunity to add a typical Dutch scene to it. I chose the characteristic house facades that you still see a lot in old Dutch cities. From left to right, you see a stepped gable, a neck gable, a pointed gable, and a bell gable. They could be canal houses, but I deliberately did not base them on a specific street. This is also one of the illustrations that were animated by @blauw.gras for PostNL’s media campaign. They make it snow. Source: Miriam Bos.  

Snowman

A snowman (Netherlands) is a human figure made of snow, usually created by children. The 'classic' snowman consists of three large balls of snow. The bottom one, the largest, represents the lower body. The middle one, in both height and size, is the torso. The top one is the smallest and represents the head. The bottom ball is generally the largest for stability.

The snow balls are made by rolling a hand-kneaded snowball through the snow. As the ball gradually becomes heavier, its own weight will press down the newly added snow better. To give the head a face, it is fitted with two eyes made from, for example, two pieces of coal. A carrot is often used for the nose. The mouth can be made of buttons. The doll is often given a scarf around its neck. The maker sometimes sacrifices his own scarf for this. And finally, it is given a broom that is stuck into the side. The snowman can then be decorated further. In 2011, American inventor Ignacio Marc Asperas was granted a patent for a technique to build 'perfect' snowmen. The 25-page instruction manual described, among other things, how perfectly symmetrical spheres could be rolled for the body, and how body parts such as arms and shoulders were to be shaped. Sheikh Mohammed Saleh Al Minjed of Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa in 2015 regarding the building of snowmen. Depicting living beings in snow was deemed to be contrary to Islam and was therefore not permitted. As an alternative, he suggested that ships or crops, for example, could be depicted in the snow.  

15th Elfstedentocht January 4, 1997

On Saturday, January 4, 1997, the 15th Elfstedentocht was held and won by Henk Angenent in the men's category and Klasina Seinstra in the women's. This was also the last Elfstedentocht to be held. Weather forecasters believe that the chance of this tour being ridden in the future is small due to climate change. In this special, everything about this Elfstedentocht and the National Day of the Elfstedentocht on January 15, 2022. I wrote a very extensive blog about this in 2022 and refer fans to many editions of this tour: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/2022/01/04/25-jaar-15e-elfstedentocht-van-1997/

 

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Previous Christmas Traditions blogs (more than 50): https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/kersttradities/