On New Year's Day the beach of Scheveningen will be as busy as if it were a hot summer's day. Scheveningen is the site of the traditional New Year’s Swim. At 12 noon thousands of brave heroes run into the icy-cold water of the North Sea. Will you be one of these heroes this year?

Colorful Costumes
Not all participants wear boring old swimsuits. Some of these hardy types like to wear something a bit more eye-catching. We have already seen a group of Santa Clauses, Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie, an ostrich and walking watering cans.

Fun for Everyone
Everyone who enjoys good health can join the New Year's Swim. The water is chilly, for sure, but this does not put off the many participants, young and old. Last year the youngest swimmer was only three years old, while the oldest one was 79. The majority of the people bracing the ice-cold water are Dutch. However, there are also many other nationalities among the thousands of participants.

Hot Soup
The starting gun is fired at 12 noon sharp. Everybody dashes into the North Sea at that moment. Most people come running back after only a few seconds. The water is too cold to stay in it for any length of time. Fortunately, everyone is treated to a cup of delicious hot soup.