Winter is a wonderful time of the year. I can even say that it’s my favourite season. Many people don’t like snow, whereas I love it. Moreover, I’m a fan of winter sports. During the winter months I go ice-skating, skiing and sledding. Ice-skating is my favourite sport. My parents took me to figure-skating classes when I was still very young. At the age of 10 or 11 I was an excellent skater. I always watch skating competitions on TV. My favourite Russian figure-skater is Evgeni Plushenko. He was a three-time World champion and seven-time European champion. Another reason why I love winter is the two-week holidays, of course. During these holidays I spend a lot of time with my friends and I visit my relatives. Traditionally, we make a snowman in the street. Everybody participates in this activity. I also love Christmas and New Year. It’s one of the nicest times of the year. People exchange presents and greetings, the streets and stores are richly decorated, illumination is everywhere. I have never met a person who doesn’t like New Year and Christmas days. The only disadvantage of winter, in my opinion, is a great number of icicles hanging from the roofs. They can be really dangerous. Slippery roads and streets also lead to unwanted accidents. Even though in winter it’s much colder than in spring, summer and autumn, I still think it is the most beautiful season of all. I’m always upset when the snow starts melting. Russian winters are especially nice. My pen-friend from England would love to see the beauty of Russian winter. So, we decided that he’ll come and visit me next January. I think he will need lots of warm clothes and a thick coat, as he isn’t used to this climate.