What is Polar Bear Plunge? Tradition explored as thousands flock to different water bodies in the U.S. for annual New Year’s Day event

Thousands welcomed the new year by diving into the icy water at the annual Polar Bear Plunge across the United States. While the custom has been practiced for hundreds of years across different countries, it has gone viral and is seeing more and more people daring the frigid temperatures in recent years.

As the name suggests, Polar Bear Plunge or Polar Bear Swim involves participants stripping off their winter wear and jumping into the icy waters of a lake, sea, or ocean, despite the cold weather. Sometimes it's done for charity but most do it as a challenge. Dave Morash, from Sackville, Canada, told Global News:

"I always refer to it as a reboot, you sort of reboot your system like a computer. So here we go, here comes 2024..."

Photographs from January 1 show thousands of participants dipping into the beaches across Seattle, Coney Island, shores of Lake Michigan in Waukegan, and even Bradford Beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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The 1st recorded New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge took place in Boston in 1904

According to Days of the Year, the first recorded plunge event took place in Boston in 1904. In Canadian communities, Polar Bear Plunges are a tradition. The Polar Bear Swim Club in Vancouver has been organizing the event since 1920 and garners somewhere between 1000-2000 participants.

The Netherlands sees as many as 30,000 people diving into the frigid water each year from 89 locations across the country at the Nieuwjaarsduik (or the New Year's Dive).

Since 1998, Unox, a food company associated with Unilever, has adopted the event since it became a staple to wear Unox-branded caps and gloves in the country.

In the United States, the event is often associated with fundraising. Plunges are regularly held in Seattle (since 1993), Milwaukee's Bradford Beach (since 1916), and Coney Island (since 1903).

Events in Minnesota are held to raise funds for the Special Olympics, and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire organizes an annual Polar Plunge for Health Equity into Occom Pond.

The largest Polar Bear Plunge in the U.S., the Plungapalooza is held in Maryland at Sandy Point State Park. Proceeds from this event are donated to the Special Olympics.

According to the Washington Post, in 2007, it raised $2.2 million and the next year almost 12,000 people participated in the event.

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The Polar Bear plunge is not ideal or everyone

Francois Haman, who studies cold exposure at the University of Ottawa, explained that despite many claims, especially on social media, these are just theories and have no scientific or research basis yet.

"Every single individual needs to learn about their own body's response to cold and their limits," he adds.

Experts have warned those with a heart condition or a tendency to panic to avoid taking a dip in the icy water as it may trigger intense body reactions.

According to Days of the Year, hyperventilating, and a drastic increase in blood pressure and heartbeat are common body responses. Haman adds first timers should slowly build stamina, submerging once a week in water that is around 70 degrees.