The Magic of Snow

Snow for humility, resilience and celebration

Born in the beautiful valleys of Thimphu, Bhutan, I already had a deep connection with the white magic of falling snow, which developed over time when I lived a majority of my life in Siliguri, where I didn’t experience it at all. So there was always a romantic relationship I had with snow with the sounds of christmas, the warm winters in a cozy bed with a classic novel and a warm cup of hot coffee chocolate and colors against the stark white of the snow. Now, living in yet another beautiful country of Japan and in Sapporo (Hokkaido), which experiences the four seasons distinctly, I think I am certainly living my dreams.

Hokkaido is the northernmost part of Japan, which is pretty close to Russia. Thus, making it a potpourri of a distinct culture varying over the course of the distinct four seasons. The changes of seasons is manifested in everything in life. The people, their food, their clothes and their activities change remarkably. Today, I will speak about winter, which is marking its end giving way to the freshness and welcome colors of spring.

Japan visibly experiences seasonal transitions in every aspect of life. NHK News states, “Each season has characteristics that are deeply rooted in the lifestyle of Japanese people, whether it relates to activities, traditions or foods. The distinctive climate of Japan’s four seasons also means that there are certain foods that can only be savored for a very short time. The Japanese word ‘shun’ designates the ingredients that are in their prime season at specific times of the year. Therefore, the seasonality of these foods is often celebrated, in small or big ways.” (NHK News Japan, 2017). In short, if you travel here, you will travel into a distinct season and therefore you must try to either live here a year or travel every year into a season and enjoy washoku, which is the season reflected in the food. Japanese food is of great variety and of specific connotations. I promise to write separately for you all on each season.

My childhood memory of winter was white, lovely snow and me eating icicles from my veranda in Bhutan, which overlooked the many colorful houses with chimneys erupting warm smoke and a towering range of mountains that seems to have made me fall in love with just sitting and staring at nature. In Sapporo, my two years of winter have deepened my love for winters. The first soft snow falling from the sky feels like a magic charm settling on my face with cool intensity that makes you feel loved. I do just stand and watch up to see the glistening snow shower.

Many of my Japanese colleagues and friends have a love-hate relationship with winters. The reasons are obvious. Winters are harsh, it’s extremely cold with temperatures going below -10, 15 and this year lesser, people need to wake up early to shovel away knee-deep snow and experience slippery roads. It takes double the time to walk or travel anywhere, more effort, especially for the elderly here, to go shopping or doing other activities. Most people seem to like hibernating during this period. I cannot help but observe how much this snow really makes people humble and appreciate the rest of the three seasons. On the other hand, winter brings the season of love – Christmas implies romantic dates, fried chicken, awesome warm food, holidays and the grand New years for Japanese here, where all meet up their families and celebrate it for a week.

I realised there is so much to write about that I might need to expand on each aspect gradually. Here I put my pen down with the promise to share more with you in my next post….

Nilima Sil, Educator, NGO Professional, Foodie & Food Enthusiast, Traveler, Dance Enthusiast Sapporo, Japan