Oh my goodness, another year, come and gone - time goes by so quickly these days!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Here is to a happy, healthy, and swimmingly good 2020. Maybe for 2021 I should do this New Year’s Dive swim at The Hague in the Netherlands? Each year, 10,000 people - 10,000!!!! - come out for this swim. Here is how they describe the event - um, sign me up…?
Start the New Year off fresh with a dive into the cold North Sea water along the coast of Scheveningen, just by the Pier. Even for the not so daring amongst us, it is a perfect day out because the sight of all those shivering people is - and always has been - a fabulous sight to see.
The largest dive in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands the 1st of January is traditionally celebrated with a new year's dive ('Nieuwjaarsduik'). No matter how cold it is, at least 25.000 people plunge into the freezing water each January. There are over 60 locations in the Netherlands where you can jump into the sea or a lake. The largest dive is held at the beach of Scheveningen, where well over 10.000 people plunge into the sea each year.
Dutch tradition
The Dutch tradition started in 1960 in Zandvoort when a swim club decided to start the year fresh with a plunge in the sea. The new year's dive received national attention after a big soup brand decided to sponsor it. From that moment on, the amount of participants and locations has increased every year.
