Prepare To Be Mesmerized By These Viral Videos Of Bubbles Freezing Solid

If you live in the Northeast, your teeth have probably been chattering since before Christmas. While it was nice to see some snow during the holidays — and I do love a bit of brisk winter air — I'm pretty much over this cold front. I dread every moment up until I have to walk out my front door, and once I'm outside, the only thing that keeps me from being totally miserable is the fact that I'm too numb to feel anything. This is bad news, considering we're less than a month into winter. It's hard to find an upside to freezing my you-know-what off, but there there are some cool things about the cold — no pun intended. In Canada, the chilly temperatures are creating a ton of viral videos of bubbles freezing, and they're all totally mesmerizing.

The cold can be pretty brutal, but there really is some magic to it. First, we get to wear beanies again. Second, hot chocolate is delicious. Third, it's much easier to bail on plans. And when you do decide to skip the party and stay indoors, you should definitely check out these awesome bubble videos. They really are cool, I swear!

Twitter user Chris Ratzlaff first introduced Twitter to the frozen bubble phenomenon, aptly named #BubbleMadness. Ratzlaff is a photographer and storm chaser who has an affinity for bubbles. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where temperatures are currently fluctuating between low double digits and above freezing. Compared to what he and other Canadians are experiencing, the temperatures here in the States might feel a little warm.

Ratzlaff posted a video on Dec. 29 of his frozen bubbles. According to Accuweather, the historical average temperature in Calgary on Dec. 29 is -2 degrees, with a low of -14. As a safety precaution, the city actually cancelled a number of outdoor New Year's Eve events due to the extreme cold. While most residents probably spent those brutal days inside by a fireplace with the heater on, or under a blanket (or maybe all three), Ratzlaff was outside blowing bubbles. To some, he may have looked silly, but the photos and videos he captured are anything but.

He shared a number of other photos of the tiny, frozen spheres, and each one was different than the last. Some look like tiny forests, while others look like intricately painted glass ornaments. Art is open to interpretation, right?

Ratzlaff was kind enough to share his recipe for the perfect freezing bubble. The concoction consists of 200ml of warm water, 35ml of corn syrup, 35 ml of dish soap, and 2 tbsps. of sugar. The tiny crystals that form inside the bubbles come from the sugar in the mixture. He noted that corn syrup can be substituted for maple syrup, and warned that a breeze can lead to a #BubbleFail. He also suggested blowing bubbles onto flat surfaces to avoid premature popping.

With Ratzlaff's guidance, other Twitter users took to the great outdoors to capture their own freezing bubbles, and shared them with him. Each one is totally unique but equally as mesmerizing as the others. Honestly, some of these photos totally remind me of something I would reblog in my Tumblr back in 2012 — in a good way.

Despite Ratzlaff's warning, not all breezes are bad for #BubbleMadness. One Twitter user replied to him and shared their own bubble creation, which turned into a runaway bubble skating along on top of the snow. Be free, little bubble!

These dainty little snow globes are so cute, they have me considering setting foot outdoors. Now all we have to do is figure out how to preserve them to create the perfect winter accessory.

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