As I am writing this, the first snowflakes of January cover Vilnius in a fine, delicate, yet humble layer of snow. Since snowy winters are becoming increasingly rare all over the world, I can’t help but recollect my childhood memories of heavy snowfalls and blinding white landscapes.

One of the many childhood photos in the family album depicts winter. It had snowed for three days in a row, and large snowdrifts lined the sides of the road. Father took the car out of the garage to give us a lift — mother to work and me to primary school.

The cold was biting, and Mama dressed me in warm clothes in which I could barely move a leg. Wrapped in a tightly tied scarf and a fluffy winter hat, I could neither breathe properly nor see anything around me. I am holding our dog Cutza, who is squirming relentlessly because she dislikes being held by a child. It was the winter of 2010, when temperatures dropped to between 21 and 31 degrees Celsius below zero.

Despite the heavy snowfall, we children didn’t mind the frost. The winter break began around the time of Gregorian Christmas (Dec. 25) and lasted until Julian Christmas ended (Jan. 8). Two weeks of relaxation at home, playing, and watching our favorite cartoons that rolled on TV. The wood blocks and coal burned continuously in the soba (heating stove), and we wouldn’t stray far from the warmest room in the house.

From an early age, we knew that snow was a blessing. If it snowed heavily in the winter, the earth would stay warm beneath the blanket of snow and retain enough moisture to nourish the seeds planted in the spring. Snow also gave children the best winter activity — sledding. My cousin and I would go to the hills near our grandparents’ farm and sled until it got dark.

The last time I was bitten by frost was three years ago, during a morning walk in Jena, where my university was located. My cheeks turned red from the cold, and my eyelashes were coated in ice. Yet, I enjoyed it immensely.

As the snowfall in Vilnius fades away, I wonder if our children will be as lucky as we were to enjoy the snow and biting cold.

Photo credits: Ricardo Gomez Angel