Summary Swimmer Beate Korehnke said: "The best is the feeling afterward."
BERLIN (AP) - For a group of hardy Berliners, Christmas Day is a time to sing seasonal songs, don festive wear and take a plunge in a cold lake.
Dozens of swimmers from the Berlin Seals club came to the German capital s Oranke lake Thursday for their annual Christmas dip, complete with red Christmas hats.
The air was relatively mild this year at around 5 C (41 F) but still bracing enough for the swimmers to warm up by singing Christmas carols before taking the plunge.
Swimmer Beate Korehnke said: "The best is the feeling afterward. There is prickling all over the body it s like a sauna but backward."
