Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
In modern society these traditional ceremonies, originally based on religious
beliefs, have been complemented by the
deliberate development of contemporary
winter festivals
designed to celebrate the season, in which the presence of snow and
ice in particular is turned into positive not negative features. The increasing number
of these festivals in most winter cities is a reflection of the desire of local residents
to enjoy winter, but the largest have outgrown their local roots. They attract people
from distant cities and countries, creating a major tourist industry based on the
celebration of winter in the cities that have such festivals, adding substantially to
the receipts of the local hotel, restaurant and retail sectors in an otherwise low sales
period. The presence of these festivals, and the associated increase in tourists, has
also led to the development of more exhibitions and concerts at this time, adding to
the attractions of the event and increasing the enjoyment of the period. Two of the
biggest world examples of these festivals are the seven day Sapporo Winter Festival
in the principal city of the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, which began on a
small scale in 1950, and Quebec's City's Bon Homme Festival. The latter is now
spread over 17 days and only became an annual, formal event to attract visitors in
1955, although informal local parties on the same theme can be traced back to at
least 1894. Official statistics show that these events annually attract over 2.3 million
visitors and 1 million people respectively to the main show grounds in Sapporo and
Quebec City. These winter festivals often brand some theme to particularize their
event. In the case of Quebec it is seen by Quebec's adoption of Bon Homme—a
large, symbolic snowman—and his helpers, the Knuks, to personify the festival and
its joie de vive. In all these examples artistic and recreational activities are devel-
oped in outdoor locations to attract city residents and tourists alike. For example,
the development of huge ice sculptures as well as ice lanterns allows artistic expres-
sion to flourish out of doors. In Sapporo over 400 hundred large ice sculptures are
constructed every year to provide a sparkling, crystal-like environment in the show
grounds. In addition, the addition of well-lighted areas, multi-coloured light and
firework displays, as well as torchlight events, also get more people outdoors, de-
spite the darkness. More generally these festivals also advertise winter sports, such
as tobogganing, skating, snowshoeing and skiing, mainly cross-country, but also
downhill in hilly or mountainous areas. All provide recreational features that can-
not be easily duplicated in non-winter environments, as do the presence of dog-sled
races. More specifically, the town of Rovaniemi in northern Finland has claimed
to be the home of Father Christmas and his elves, and thousands flock to the town
with their children every winter to seek out these characters and to visit their build-
ings, providing a type of northern Disneyland experience for these visitors. The
creation of ice-hotels and bars, actually constructed out of ice, such as those in
northern Sweden, add to the unique experiences that people in other climates cannot
duplicate. The most famous of these is in Jukkasj￤rvi outside Kiruna where a local
entrepreneur developed the concept in the early 1990s, creating a hotel made of ice
which has been fully booked from December to May for many years.
More generally, many cities with long winters have deliberately developed
out-
door markets
as well as entertainments in their downtown streets or central squares,
especially at Christmas time. Even though these are not really winter cities a trend
