The upside to a long, freezing winter is the season's timeless mascot: the simple snowman.

1963. | (Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo)

No matter how old we get, there's still something utterly delightful — even magical — about using our hands and ingenuity to transform a few clumps of ice into a frosty companion. Below, enjoy this heartwarming reminder that the year's cruelest season isn't all that bad.

1937. | (Fred Morley/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

2003. | (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

2015. | (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

Circa 1960s. | (Mrs. E. Vago/REX/Shutterstock)

1914. | (Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo / Alamy Stock Photo)

1964. | (SPUTNIK / Alamy Stock Photo)

2016. | (REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin)

2008. | (Horizons WWP / TRVL / Alamy Stock Photo)

Circa 1924. | (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

2013. | (REUTERS/Chris Wattie)

1955. | (Horizons WWP / TRVL / Alamy Stock Photo)

1989. | (Steve Poole/ANL/REX/Shutterstock)