Brave winter swimmers gathered at Oranke Lake in Berlin on Christmas Day for a holiday tradition that mixes cheer with cold resolve. Dressed in Santa hats and festive costumes, the group walked together toward the water as onlookers watched from the frozen shore.
The lake temperature stood at 1.5 degrees Celsius, but the greater test came from the air. Outside temperatures dropped to minus eight, making the moments before and after the swim the hardest part of the ritual.
After the plunge, swimmers gathered on the bank to warm up, share laughter and sing Christmas carols. For many, the cold swim marked a moment of shared endurance and simple celebration at the heart of Berlin’s Christmas Day.