How did Frosty Become the Holiday Snowman?
Frosty is one of the most successful additions to modern Christmas imagery. The song, written in 1950 by Steve Nelson and Jack Rawlins, was recorded by Gene Autry. It became the best-selling Christmas record of 1951. Frosty has some elements of a fairy tale, with a snowman who comes to life with the addition of a magical silk hat. There is also some fairy tale poignancy about him, as Frosty begins to melt in the sun and so must hurry away, promising to return again some day. A 1969 television cartoon was based on the story, and Frosty has also found his way into Christmas merchandising. There he has appeared as a doll, on coloring books, as candy and in many other manifestations that might have taxed the ingenuity of even the most magical of silk hats.
