At The Dead Of Winter: Taking the Plunge Into Icy Water

What would it take to get you into icy water in the dead of winter? Sane or not, swimmers around the world are taking the plunge.

In Bulgaria, members of the Eastern Orthodox Church take the plunge as part of Epiphany holiday celebrations (4). Germany's "Berlin Seals" (Berliner Seehunde) make the swim for what they believe are restorative health benefits (1). And the Dutch just do it for fun (2).   

Will you support The World? 

The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?