Christmas and New Year on Skis: Sporting Hedonism and Rites in a Snowy Chronotope Introduction: The Festival as the Conquest of the Vertical The tradition of celebrating Christmas and New Year in ski resorts is a phenomenon of the 20th–21st centuries, synthesizing ancient calendar rituals with the practices of modern sports tourism and mass leisure. It is not just the transfer of the festival to another location, but the formation of a special "winter chronotope," where sacred time intertwines with hedonistic exploration of mountain space. Skiing festival represents a complex cultural code, combining asceticism of physical effort, escape from urban routine, and search for authentic experiences in comfortable infrastructure. Genesis of the Tradition: From Sanatorium Treatment to Mass Tourism Historically, mountain regions (Alps, Tatras, Pyrenees) were associated with winter as a time of forced seclusion. A turning point came at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, when winter sports, primarily skiing, transformed from a means of transportation and survival into entertainment for the aristocracy. The first winter tourists went to St. Moritz (Switzerland) or Kitzbühel (Austria) for "air and snow baths," considered curative. Gradually, a prototype of the modern festival was formed: skiing during the day, aperitif by the fireplace, a festive dinner. After World War II, with the development of lifts and the growth of the middle class's prosperity, the skiing festival became mass, transforming into an annual ritual for millions of Europeans and not only. Christmas Chronotope: Between the Slope and Tyrolean Evening Christmas at the resort is structured in a special way, creating the feeling of "a festival within a festival." Morning of December 24–25: Often the only day of the year when the slopes are empty. Skiing at this time acquires almost meditative, personal character. For many, it is a ritual of unity with nature before the family celebration. In some regions (Bavari ... Read more