They are crazy? Soak in water at 8 degrees Celsius (46 F)! Maybe they are, but people have been known to do weirder things.

  1. A polar bear “Swim” or “Plunge” is a tradition that dates back more than 100 years. It originated with the Scandinavian sauna tradition as a way to quickly cool down after the heat of a sauna.

  2. In China and Russia, ice swimming is reputed to have health benefits and is done whenever the need arises, not just on New Year’s Day.

  3. Russian ice swimmers are known as “walruses” rather than North American “polar bears.”

  4. In North America, the oldest annual fall is from Boston, MA (1904). The water in Dorchester Bay was 3 degrees Celsius (37 F) on January 1, 2012, just above freezing. Regardless, more than 600 swimmers came out to take the water.

  5. Total immersion is the goal of purists. They say it’s not that bad once you get your head wet. I do not know anything about that!

  6. Costumes are optional but preferred in North America. Superhero costumes are common. At least one person has donned a polar bear costume.

  7. Canada’s largest event takes place in Vancouver, BC. Vancouverites plunge into a cold English bay, part of the Pacific Ocean. The swim was started in 1921 by a local restaurateur who invited friends to join him for a quick dip and rewarded them with a free lunch. Today, there are more than 2,000 participants and 10,000 spectators.

  8. The water temperature in English Bay on New Years Day is usually around 8 degrees Celsius. Considering that the normal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius, you can see that there is a significant gradient. Most people run in and out. Some brave souls swim for a couple of minutes, but most just dive in. One participant commented that “it is quite pleasant once feeling is lost in the extremities.”

  9. On January 1, 2012, a record 36,000 polar bear swimmers were recorded at various locations in the Netherlands.

  10. Thousands of dollars are raised each year for charity for the ‘Polar Bears’ on New Years Day.

Soaking in ice cold water can be done for health, fun, charity, or just to remove it from your bucket list. If you missed the New Year’s Day dive, you can head north to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories for their “Freezin for a Reason” march on Great Slave Lake, 400 km (250 miles) south of the Arctic Circle.