Snow angel

A child making a snow angel in shallow snow

A snow angel is a design, made in fresh snow, by lying on one's back and moving one's arms up and down, and one's legs from side to side, to form the shape of an angel. Making snow angels is a common childhood game.

Technique

The creation of the snow angel is a simple process. The first step is to find an undisturbed plane of fresh snow. The next step is to lie with arms and legs outstretched, on the snow. The limbs are then swept back and forth, creating a trough through the snow. When it is finished, the snow angel should have the appearance of a stylized angel, the movement of the arms having formed wings, and that of the legs having formed a gown.

Current world record

On March 28, 2007, Guinness World Records confirmed that North Dakota holds the world record for the most snow angels made simultaneously in one place. The event occurred on February 17, 2007 when 8,962 snow angels were created on the state Capitol grounds in Bismarck.^[1]

Previously, the record was held by Michigan Technological University with 3,784 students, locals, and alumni making snow angels on the school football field.^[2]

In popular culture

• Engler i sneen / Angels in the Snow. Norwegian 1989 hit with Jonas Fjeld and Lynni Treekrem. Melody: Jonas Fjeld. Lyrics: Ole Paus, English translation: Eric Anderson.^[3]

References