the concept wasn’t original, and even the name had been used before. But it became a hit during the pandemic and the Times wanted to expand its word games. One does not live by the Sunday crossword alone I guess.
The term “winter” was derived from the Proto-Germanic word wentruz, that probably meant wet or wind. The Kwakiutl Indians of British Columbia take the names of their ancestors at the beginning of winter. They believe it will protect them from bad spirits. In Japan, people do the tradition...