Amid freezing cold, 4000 people jumped into this THIS lake; here's why

Thousands of people took to the banks of Lake Geneva and then plunged into the water amid freezing temperatures to fulfil a tradition. The bizarre and literally bone-chilling tradition around Christmas is an unusual one from Switzerland. 

The temperature of the water at the banks was around 8.8 degrees Celsius, local media reported. But the participants in the event were undeterred as they took the plunge and then went on a 100-metre swim. The reason behind the bravado: The glimmering Christmas Cup. 

Visuals from the bizarre Christmas tradition surfaced online where thousands ran towards the docs dressed as superheroes and fairytale characters, hopped on to boats and then dived into the freezing water.

The absurd tradition is not a new one but has been ongoing for over 8 decades since 1934. The two-day event takes place in Switzerland’s Geneva every year. The participation of 4,000 swimmers at Christmas 2022 event, amateur and professional, has reportedly broken the all-time record for the Christmas Cup. 

The attendance has been growing in recent years with rising popularity. The next year’s edition already has participants on the waitlist, the event’s organising committee head Christophe Jacot was quoted as saying. 

The Christmas Cup event requires the contenders to take a plunge into the water. The temperature outside is -2 degrees Celsius. This makes the slightly warmer water feel better to participants but the real concern is coming back out in the freezing cold. The temperature change could cause a shock to the body’s system. However, participants say that as they are not swimming alone, it is a safe tradition. One participant called the event “pure bliss”.

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