Polar Bear Plunge

A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. In the United States polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization. In Canada polar bear swims are usually held on New Year's Day to celebrate the new year.

In Canada, "Polar Bear Swims", "plunges" or "dips" are a New Year's Day tradition in numerous communities across the country.Vancouver, BC's annual Polar Bear Swim Club has been active since 1920 and typically has 1,000 to 2,000 registered participants, with a record 2,128 plunging into English Bay in 2000. Registration is not enforced and the actual number of swimmers may be significantly higher. Estimates of the number of observers are typically up to 10,000. Suburban White Rock, BC's was founded in 1958, and other suburbs including Port Moody and North Vancouver also hold swims.

Other locations include Bowen Island, BC,Edmonton, AB,Calgary, AB,Ottawa, ON,Oakville, ON,Toronto, ON,Perth, ON,Clarington, ON,Sarnia, ON,Montreal, QC,North Hatley, QC,Halifax, NS,Prince Edward Island,, Ness Lake north of Prince George, BC and St. John's, NL. In Yellowknife, NWT, the "Freezin for a Reason" plunge is held in March after the spring thaw.

Every New Year's Day around 10,000 people dive collectively into the icy cold sea water at Scheveningen, The Netherlands' main beach resort town since 1960. In 89 locations on beaches and in lakes all over the country, each year around 30,000 people participate in this "Nieuwjaarsduik" (English: New Year's dive), with a record 36,000 participants on January 1, 2012. Since 1998 Unox, a Unilever food brand often associated with winter, adopted the Nieuwjaarsduik and ever since it is tradition to wear Unox branded winter caps and gloves.

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