To sum up everything we’d like to notice that there is no bad season and even if winter is not you best part of the year, try to find something pleasant in it for yourself

Winter Activities

You can do in the winter outside many different things. Although it is cold, it is not advised to be out for too long to prevent frostbite. The traditional winter activities include ice-skating, skiing, carriage rides, snowball fights, and sledding. Depending on your area, there may be more, or less, activities for you. If you live near a ski resort, look into it and see if they offer tubing as well as skiing and snowboarding. Tubing is a fun activity for those who are less than impressed with skiing. So look into all of your local activities and find something for you and your entire family to enjoy.

Now, we believe, it will be interesting for you to listen about exceptionally cold winters in the world’s history.

In 1310–1330, many severe winters and cold, wet summers in Europe were the first clear manifestation of the unpredictable weather of the Little Ice Age that lasted for several centuries (from about 1300 to 1900). The persistently cold, wet weather caused great hardship, was primarily responsible for the Great Famine of 1315–1317, and strongly contributed to the weakened immunity and malnutrition leading up to the Black Death (1348–1350).

In 1683–1684 there was so-called "The Great Frost" in England, when the Thames was frozen all the way up to the London Bridge and remained frozen for about two months. Ice was about 27 cm thick in London and about 120 cm thick in Somerset. On the frozen river there were hosted one of many River Thames frost fairs.

1816 was the Year Without a Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The unusual coolness of the winter of 1815–1816 and of the following summer was due to the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, in April 1815. The effects were worldwide, but were especially strong in the Eastern USA, Atlantic Canada, and Northern Europe. Frost formed in May in New England, killing many newly-planted crops. Snow fell in New York and Maine in June, and ice formed in lakes and rivers in July and August. In the UK, snow drifts remained on hills until late July, and the Thames froze in September. Agricultural crops failed and livestock died in much of the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in food shortages and the worst famine of the 19th century.

Proverbs

The facts show that sometimes people suffered very much from winter. So generations of people gathered different proverbs. And here are several of them:

A tough apple skin means a hard winter.

2) A year of snow is the year of plenty.

If shooting stars fall in the south in winter, there will be a thaw.

If autumn leaves are slow to fall, prepare for a cold winter.

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. J

Ecology

If to speak about nature, it turned out that  to survive the harshness of winter, many animals have developed different behavioral and morphological adaptations for overwintering:

· Migration is a common effect of winter upon animals, notably birds. However, the majority of birds do not migrate—the cardinal and European Robin, for example. Some butterflies also migrate seasonally.

 

· Hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity during the winter. Some animals "sleep" during winter and only come out when the warm weather returns; e.g., gophers, frogs, snakes, and bats.

 

 

· Some animals store food for the winter and live on it instead of hibernating completely. This is the case for squirrels, beavers, skunks, badgers, andraccoons

.

 

· Resistance is observed when an animal endures winter but changes in ways such as color and musculature. The color of the fur or plumage changes to white (in order to be confused with snow) and thus retains its cryptic coloration year-round. Examples are the Rock Ptarmigan, arctic fox, weasel, white-tailed jackrabbit, and mountain hare.

 

 

· Some fur-coated mammals grow a heavier coat during the winter; this improves the heat-retention qualities of the fur. The coat is then shed following the winter season to allow better cooling. The heavier coat in winter made it a favorite season for trappers, who sought more profitable skins.

 

· Snow also affects the ways animals behave; many take advantage of the insulating properties of snow by burrowing in it. Mice and voles typically live under the snow layer.

 

 

Some annual plants never survive the winter. Other annual plants require winter cold to complete their life cycle, this is known as vernalization. As forperennials, many small ones profit from the insulating effects of snow by being buried in it. Larger plants, particularly deciduous trees, usually let their upper part go dormant, but their roots are still protected by the snow layer. Few plants bloom in the winter, one exception being the flowering plum, which flowers in time for Chinese New Year. The process by which plants become acclimated to cold weather is called hardening.

 

 

Winter also influences people’s behavior. But we’re able to fight with winter depression and other negative factors.

Judging by that we can say there are some things you are to do during winter season:

You have to change your thoughts about winter, because it’s the period when you have an opportunity to spend you free time by doing things you’ll never do in summer time. Look over your ambitious and aims, add something new into your inner life. Set yourself the task to make your winter unforgettable, useful and pleasant.

Here are some ideas for you:

 

1) Study the art of time-management because this will help you make your life more comfortable

2) Make a list of books you want to read on holidays. Even if you don’t have much time to read them all you just need to look into this list sometimes

3)   There comes a moment when In winter the city is decorated with different kinds of illumination, that make Christmas trees look brighter and enchanting, so you have to walk down the streets of your own city as much as you can to make your cheeks and nose turn red.

It becomes obvious that not only city but your own room or even flat should be prepared for winter. Warm rugs, gerlands, candles and delicious food are welcome.

5) Then you have to send a letter to your friends, but you have to do this without using the enternet. Let your letter be handprinted, we’re sure your friends will love it

We are nothing if we’re not interested about what is happening around us. As we live in an Administrative center of our region it will be unfair for us no to visit different art-galleries, exhibitions, go with your friends or members of your family to a theatre to listen to a famous bands, orchestras etc.

Frankly speaking even if it’s snowing out of the window you have to be prepared for the summer time, so we advise you to buy a world’s map and to put scratches at places you want to visit

7) Winter is not winter if there’s not fried chestnuts

8) And the last but not the least - you have to take a healthy sleep. It depends on your day regimen. Think over it.

To sum up everything we’d like to notice that there is no bad season and even if winter is not you best part of the year, try to find something pleasant in it for yourself.

 

We only want to say “Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.”

Pietro Aretino