Growing up in Greenland, Smilla Jaspersen, the main character of the novel by Danish writer Peter Heg, distinguished up to 70 types of snow and ice For each of them, the Eskimo language has its own name With the arrival of winter, the first crystals of frozen water, appearing at a temperature of -18 ℃ on the surface of the Greenland Sea, are broken by waves and form a viscous mass called grease ice Its individual particles eventually combine into a monolithic layer The Eskimos call it pancake ice Snow on lands located close to the North Pole varies in density, height, color and other parameters Residents of megacities are deprived of the pleasure of admiring the various types of ice crystals settling on trees and houses The high heat transfer of concrete buildings, cars and asphalt roads leads to rapid melting of snow Citizens can enjoy its splendor and whiteness only during times of weather anomalies In honor of one of them, the Deep Snow Festival was established, which is celebrated on December 26 On this day, crowds of children pour out into the streets, falling with all their might onto the fluffy white blanket that covers the ground Children play snowballs, build towers and sculpt figures of animals and people from tiny ice crystals Adults also take to the streets in honor of the holiday, clearing snow from footpaths and paths Snowstorms, blizzards and meter-long snowdrifts create a lot of problems for the work of public utilities and public transport However, snow is very important for winter plants It nourishes the earth with moisture and protects it from deep freezing It’s not for nothing that people say: “The snow is deep - the harvest is good” High snowdrifts protect the ground from wind erosion and create a strategic reserve of moisture in the soil, which plants actively use in the spring The thickness of the cover determines the yield of berry crops: currant bushes, gooseberries and raspberries Deep snow helps not only pears, apple trees and other garden trees to withstand frosts down to -35 ℃, but also animals Black grouse and field mice spend the winter under a snow-white blanket, and bears and badgers live in dens and burrows In severe cold, snow becomes the only source of life-giving moisture for moose, deer and other wild artiodactyls Snowflakes falling from the sky and high snowdrifts are an excellent reason to take a walk and admire the beauty of nature, the enjoyment of which is not available to everyone According to statistics, 50% of the world's inhabitants have never seen snow Residents of Russia have the opportunity to observe it in large quantities in winter and early spring Thus, in the Krasnaya Polyana area in Sochi, on Mount Achishkho, snowdrifts 10 meters high are formed in one season Snow-white cover brings joy and benefits to everyone: from children and gardeners to alpine skiers Therefore, residents of the Krasnodar Territory and other regions of Russia celebrate the Deep Snow Festival with pleasure