When I was a kid, a snow day meant no school. But beyond that, it meant every kid was sent outside to play. We were bundled up, sent out, and were expected to play until called in for hot chocolate in the late afternoon.
We'd build forts and have snowball fights, make snowmen, and go sledding. After a warming bath and some dinner, we could barely move for the lovely sleepies that would overtake us. It was a winter wonderland.
Nowadays I don't see snow that often, what with living on the California coast for 6 years, then the desert of Arizona for 10, and now sub-tropical Australia. I was super fortunate to land in wake up in Katoomba a few months ago to the quiet of a snow covered world that lasted almost the whole day.
I was so happy, I cried.
I still have a page from the 1984 December Family Circle magazine with a paper snowflake pattern. I've made them year after year. A couple of years ago, I collected up all the patterns I'd tried over the years and drew them up as an illustrated guide to making 20 paper snowflakes.
Here they are all together in this downloadable PDF.
Even if you live in a sunny summer location, you can enjoy a white Christmas with these snowflakes. Or maybe a colorful one, depending on the paper you use.
Merry Christmas! Let it snow!