Winter Carnival in Quebec in February 2020
Not so long ago, the prospects of living through a long, dark and freezing winter were slim. The thought of getting snowed or iced in made people plan months ahead, and even then they often did not make it, cut down by poor planning or a twist of bad luck, or both. People froze to death or starved -- often coming close to one before succumbing to the other -- while trying to wait out the season until food and warmth slowly returned. Those things still happen, but enough advances have been made that survival rates have vastly improved. In some places where winter weather is felt acutely, winter even is celebrated. It is no small feat to thrive in winter, to emotionally embrace the cold, the snow, the ice and the darkness. Even for those of us with modest skill sets, it can be invigorating to get outside, to lace up boots or skates or to clip on skis and move about in ways most of our forbears facing massive winter weather could not -- and still return home to hot meals, warm lights and cozy beds. To do winter well is truly a miracle of modern living. Let us thank the makers of warm and sturdy coats, of boots and hats and gloves, and modern food and power distribution networks. And let us take satisfaction in places in the world where people celebrate winter, in ways both big and small, as a way to mark our collective adaptability and ingenuity, and to remind ourselves that despite the many challenges we have faced and will continue to face, we are still here and still find ways to make it all worthwhile.
