How Children Conjure a Snow Day
Spoons under pillows, ice cubes in the toilet, and other rituals to call forth snow
TL;DR
- Children have used various superstitions for generations to try and bring about snow days.
- Common rituals include flushing ice cubes down the toilet, wearing pajamas inside out, and placing spoons under pillows.
- These practices are rooted in principles of sympathetic magic ('like produces like') and reversal rituals.
- The traditions provide children with a sense of control, hope, and camaraderie.
- The exact origins are difficult to trace, but similar adult weather-controlling ceremonies date back millennia.
- The persistence of these superstitions is linked to the human desire for control in uncertain situations.
- These rituals also embody a spirit of rebelliousness, allowing children a sense of agency.