Rituals for a Snow Day
Think back to when you were young and how you reacted when it started to snow. You became overjoyed and think “please, oh please, cancel school tomorrow!” Quite a few people have had superstitions and rituals that could be performed to summon more snow. Ever wonder where these superstitions came from? The Native Americans, Chinese, and Romanian cultures all have a “Snow Dance” for the occasion. Much like a rain dance to bring rain during times of a drought, people do exactly as the name suggests: they dance! In 1970, a musician named David Riutta created a song about Heikki Lunta, the Finnish snow god. Heikki Lunta translated into English means Hank Snow. Heikki Lunta was said to live in the woods and would dance to make it snow, further continuing the snow dance tradition. Riutta created this to increase support for a race in Michigan that had very little snow accumulation.
Over the centuries and decades, the popularity of these superstitions primarily rested with the younger generations. It evolved into other superstitions like wearing your pajamas inside out, putting a spoon under your pillow, and flushing an ice cube down the toilet. Other superstitions and rituals include:
- Place a white crayon on the windowsill
- Snow dance next to the freezer
- Sleep backwards with your feet where your head should be
- Brush your teeth with the opposite hand and sleep with one sock on
- Pray
- Eat ice cream
- Run around the house 5 times
- Put a penny under your pillow
- Yell “Snow Day!” into the freezer
- Put a white stuffed animal beside your snow shovel (inside or outside)
- Shake a snow globe
Just before Valentine’s Day we got struck with more snow and were granted a short delay. Many of us hoped the incoming storm would close school, but I’m sure few of us thought about implementing some of these superstitions and rituals. It may be silly and childish, but it doesn’t hurt to try to increase our chances of a snow day!
https://upsupply.co/journal/heikki-lunta-finnish-snow-god
https://www.everythingmom.com/activities/snow-day-predictor-25-ways-to-make-a-snow-day-happen
