The Russian word for winter is зима. In Arizona, the winter is short and warm compared to the winter in Russia which is much longer and colder. Every time Americans ask me about the Russian winter, I say «Зима в России очень холодная и долгая» “The winter in Russian is very cold and long.” I also tell them that it is important to wear warm clothes to avoid getting ill. The Russian word for winter hat is зимняя шапка, the word for winter coat is зимняя куртка, and the word for boots is сапоги.

Many kids in Russia like to build snowmen. The Russian word for snowmen is снеговик. As a child, I would always ask my mom “Можно я построю снеговика?” which means, “Can I build a snowman?” If a male tells someone that he made a snowman, he would say, «Я построил снеговика», whereas a female would say «Я построила снеговика». Children in Russia also like to ride on sleds during the winter. The Russian word for sled is санки.