Which snowman mascot first appeared at the Quebec Winter Carnival in 1955?

The snowman mascot that first appeared at the Quebec Winter Carnival in 1955 was Bonhomme Carnaval.

Bonhomme is the official mascot and ambassador of Carnaval de Québec. He is depicted as a cheerful white snowman wearing a red toque and a traditional Québécois arrow sash, known as a ceinture fléchée.

Bonhomme made his first public appearance on January 9, 1955, in front of Porte Saint-Louis. Quebec City mayor Wilfrid Hamel presented him with the keys to the city, beginning a tradition that remains part of the carnival’s opening celebrations.

The festival itself revived in modern form in 1955 after earlier winter celebrations had occurred intermittently, including a major carnival launched in 1894. Bonhomme is sometimes mistaken for a generic winter character, but his costume and ceremonial role specifically represent Quebec’s cultural identity and winter carnival tradition.