rantroot: Snowman

A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built by children as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen. Because a snowman is situation-specific, it is a good example of popular installation art.

Typical snowmen feature three snowballs, and some additional accouterments for facial and other features. Common accessories include branches for arms and a rudimentary smiley face, other possibilities are a carrot nose. Human clothing, such as hat or scarf may even be included. Low-cost and availability are an issue, since snowman are usually in a cold and/or wet environment, and abandoned to the elements once completed. Melting and sublimation is a common end of life scenario for most snowmen.