As the dreary winter months approach, bringing with them slow days, early nights, and numbing cold, we students often find ourselves struggling to look forward to anything at all. Truthfully, one of the only benefits of this time of year are snow days and the reprieve they offer us. After countless instances of getting delays rather than snow days, we have learned that sometimes the weather needs a little push in the form of a white crayon in the freezer, backward pajamas, or even a spoon under your pillow. But where do these rituals come from?

According to senior Hannah Durbin’s 2015 article “Top Ten Snow Day Ideas to Try,” because “snow is frozen and white and it colors outside,” putting a white crayon in the freezer helps motivate Mother Nature to make some snow. The backward pajama myth is mostly silly; Grand Haven Tribune reports that it’s meant to confuse the “snow gods” into making snow. Finally, Hannah Durbin is undecided on where the spoon ritual comes from, but Sophia Dugan ‘21 swears on its effectiveness and says that she “still has a spoon under her mattress from 4th grade.” Although these snow day traditions may not hold much truth, they certainly boost morale and anticipation for the unlikely occurrence that SUA students are able to turn their pajamas back around and enjoy a well-deserved day off.