Polar Bear Plunge Day

Categories:: Fun
Tags:: Activities Sports
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every January 1
Holiday emoji:: 🥶

Polar Bear Plunge Day on January 1 challenges the bold and daring to embrace icy waters as a thrilling start to the New Year. Whether you’re ‘freezin’ for a reason’ to support a charity or simply seeking an invigorating thrill, this day promises an unforgettable experience. Find a local event, gather your courage, and take the plunge!

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Expected Polar Bear Plunge Day Deals

As Polar Bear Plunge Day approaches, look for retailers to offer promotions on cold-weather gear and swimwear. Brands like Patagonia and REI often feature sales on insulated jackets, waterproof accessories, and quick-dry towels perfect for post-plunge recovery. Local event organizers, such as the Special Olympics, frequently partner with sponsors like Dunkin’ or Starbucks for hot beverage giveaways to warm participants. Expect deals on thermal wear from Under Armour and durable swimwear from Speedo. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as January 1 approaches.

Platform Guide for Polar Bear Plunge Day

TikTok

Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #PolarBearPlunge. Film your plunge, share your pre-dip jitters, and post your post-dip reactions for viral content.

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #PolarBearPlungeDay. Share photos and reels of your icy dip, featuring creative costumes and brave faces.

X/Twitter

Mention @NatlToday and use #PolarPlunge. Tweet about your participation, share event details, and challenge friends to join the cold-water fun.

Polar Bear Plunge Day Hero

Lewis Gordon Pugh

Lewis Gordon Pugh is a British-South African endurance swimmer and ocean advocate. He is the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world, often in extreme cold conditions. His daring swims, including one across the North Pole, highlight the impacts of climate change and inspire others to brave cold waters for a cause.

History of Polar Bear Plunge Day

A polar bear plunge, also known as a polar bear swim or ice swimming, is a cold-weather winter event. Participants gather at a designated time on the edge of a local body of water where they all plunge into the water at the same time, usually at the shrill blast of a starter whistle. Most plungers rush to make their way in and out of the bone-chilling water quickly. Others try easing their way in. A few daredevils throw themselves into the icy wetness with abandon, usually the first-timers. Regardless of the speed at which they enter, everyone is eager to leave the water and escape the effects of the biting cold on their naked skin.

Polar bear swim clubs have been around in the United States for more than a century. The oldest-documented New Year’s Day polar bear plunge event took place in 1904 when the L Street Brownies, a swim club founded in 1902 in South Boston, Massachusetts, took their first icy cold plunge together into Dorchester Bay. They’ve been celebrating the arrival of each New Year with a polar bear plunge ever since.

Long before the L Street Brownies discovered the thrill of a New Year’s Day polar bear swim, Scandinavians were enjoying ice swimming. It may seem bizarre, but ice swimming is common in Nordic cultures, and not just on New Year’s Day. Ice-hole swimming — yes, as in cutting a hole in frozen lakes and dropping in for an icy dip — is a traditional Finnish outdoor activity. Denmark has more than 20,000 registered ‘icebreakers’ in more than 75 winter swim clubs. And the Danes, in particular, enjoy plunging naked. But why?

There are both mental and physical benefits said to be derived from cold-water swimming. Some studies confirm that even taking a cold shower can elevate blood levels of the body’s own mood-regulating- and painkilling hormones. These naturally occurring chemicals are essential in combating depression. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a mood disorder common in the most northern latitudes where sunlight can be scarce for extended months, may be the reason why ice swimming has been practiced for many generations in Nordic cultures. Wellness spas around the world have embraced the very Nordic practice of a hot sauna followed by an ice-water plunge ritual on their menu of wellness treatments.

Regular ice water swimmers say the thrill of the chill increases energy levels and sharpens the mind. And although there seem to be some actual health benefits to skinny dipping in cold water, we’ve heard you can achieve the same result just by getting a good night’s sleep.

But then, where is the thrill in that?

Polar Bear Plunge Day timeline

1902

The Oldest Polar Bear Swim Club

The L Street Brownies, the oldest polar bear swim club in the U.S. is formed.

1904

The First Plunge

The first annual New Year’s Day plunge by the L Street Brownies takes place.

2007

Money is Raised

In Maryland, Sandy Point State Park’s Plungapalooza raises $2.2 million for the Special Olympics.

2008

Record-Breaking Event

The largest annual Polar Bear Plunge in the U.S., the Plungapalooza, attracts 12,000 participants.

Polar Bear Plunge Day FAQs

When is Polar Bear Plunge Day?

Polar Bear Plunge Day in 2027 will be observed on Friday, January 1, offering a refreshing and memorable way to kick off the first day of the new calendar year.

How many people participate in polar plunges?

Participation in polar plunges continues to grow, with an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 individuals taking the icy dip across various events in the U.S. alone, many raising significant funds for charity.

What are the benefits of cold water swimming?

Beyond the initial adrenaline rush, regular cold water exposure is linked to increased resilience, better mood regulation, and a potential reduction in inflammation. Many participants also value the strong sense of community and shared challenge.

Is Polar Bear Plunge Day only for charity?

While ‘freezin’ for a reason’ is a common motto, the motivation for plunging extends beyond fundraising. Many partake for personal challenge, community spirit, or simply to embrace a unique and memorable New Year’s Day tradition.

Polar Bear Plunge Day Activities

Take the plunge
If taking an icy cold swim on New Year’s Day is oddly appealing or has been on your bucket list for a long while, we suspect you have a little Nordic DNA in your blood. Why not go ahead and take the plunge? Most states and many cities and towns now sponsor an annual Polar Bear Plunge to celebrate the New Year and raise money for a worthy cause.
Volunteer to help others take the plunge
Even if plunging into bitter cold water on a cold winter’s day is not your style, you can still be part of the unconventional fun and festivities by volunteering to be a land partner for someone else. Organized events need lots of volunteers to make the event safe for daring plungers and a successful fundraising event.
Visit the polar bears at a zoo
If you have no interest in being in the middle of the madness of ‘human polar bears’, bundle up and head to your local zoo to be entertained by the real deal. Some zoos offer viewing windows where you can watch the magnificent but playful creatures swim and play in the water. Or tune into online polar bear cams if you prefer staying warm and cozy at home.

Five Cold-Hard Facts About Polar Bear Plunging

Cold shock
The body’s natural reaction to sudden cold water triggers a gasp reflex, which may continue as uncontrolled hyperventilation or an abnormal breathing rhythm.
Cold incapacitation
After a few minutes of being in icy water, your body kind of tricks you into thinking you are not all that cold and this condition can easily lead to drowning if you are inexperienced.
Onset of Asthma
Cold, whether cold air or cold water, can trigger an attack in those who have asthma.
Cold hives
Cold urticaria, or ‘cold hives’, is a disorder where large red welts primarily affect the legs after exposure to cold air or -water.
Blood pressure spike
Blood pressure spikes are a normal reaction to a dip in cold water as the body responds to the shock — for someone with undiagnosed high blood pressure or a heart condition, the result could be an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack.

Why We Love Polar Bear Plunge Day

It’s a confidence booster
It takes some nerve to strip off winter parkas, hats, gloves, and boots to get nearly naked with dozens, hundreds, or maybe thousands of strangers and run with reckless abandon into the icy waters of an ocean, lake, or pond in the dead of winter. This has to be, at the very least, a huge confidence builder that will give you a really good story to tell.
A way to make new friends
We cannot vouch for how sane these new friends may be; they are prone to jumping into icy cold water in the dead of winter. But at least you know you have one thing in common, and that is an abnormal start to a new friendship.
Brings happy, generous people together on New Year’s Day
You won’t find miserable, unhappy people at a polar bear plunge on New Year’s Day. These are people who live life one day at a time and enjoy helping others. New Year’s Day polar bear plunges are fundraisers, and these ice swimmers are taking the plunge to raise money for charity. Be happy. Take the plunge.