Weirdest American Holiday Traditions
| December 19, 2018
Polar Bear Plunges
Many Americans value our national reputation for being tough, resilient people. This has led to the crazy tradition of polar bear plunges – where groups of people solicit donations for charities that are contingent on them first going swimming in an ice-cold body of water like an ocean or lake.
These events often raise lots of money for good causes, but the thought of literally having to break ice in order to go into the water seems harrowing. Polar bear plunges are common around the Pacific Northwest and New England (or anywhere it gets down to freezing temperatures on a regular basis).
a katz / Shutterstock
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