Angel’s Whisper

Angel’s Whisper is the poetic name for one of winter's most magical natural phenomena: the diamond dust that appears when temperatures drop below –20°C. I have yet to see them myself. And the photo in this post is not of actual "Angel's Whisper". In fact, until today I had never even heard the term "Angel's Whisper", but what a beautiful expression it is.

The reason I heard it today, is because today and every February 17th, is Angel Whisper Memorial Day (天使の囁き記念日). The anniversary traces back to February 17, 1978, when the Hokkaido community of Horokanai, Moshiri recorded an unofficial temperature of –41.2°C—one of the coldest temperatures ever experienced in Japan. Because the meterological agency in Japan didn't record temperatures in the area at the time, it couldn't be officially registered as the coldest. 

Inspired by this extreme yet beautiful environment, the local “Angel’s Whisper Executive Committee” established "Angel Whisper Memorial Day" in 1994 to shift the image of harsh winter cold into something positive and enchanting. Had you ever heard the term "Angel Whisper"? And have you ever seen them in real life?