Customs - Wearing a pointed cap for a Christmas dip in the lake
In comparatively mild water temperatures of four degrees, men and women from the winter swimming club "Pirrlliepausen" took a dip in Lake Senftenberg in Brandenburg on Christmas Eve.
With pointed or bobble hats on their heads, the winter swimmers splashed around in the cold water for a few minutes. Last year, the winter pool was much fresher with a water temperature of two degrees.
With an air temperature of six degrees and a water temperature of four degrees, it was far too warm for the Christmas bathers on Sunday. "It's really nice when it's ten degrees below zero in the air and one degree above in the water," said club spokesman Peter Lehmann. "It's much more fun when you have to hack a swimming hole in the frozen lake under a sunny blue sky." According to the association, "Pirrlliepausen" is an old North German expression for icicles.
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- Despite the unseasonably warm weather on Saint's Eve, some women in Germany still opted for a traditional Christmas bath in Lake Senftenberg, Brandenburg, donning their pointed caps for the chilly dip.
- Interestingly, the water temperature was four degrees Celsius, which paled in comparison to last year's frigid two degrees, but it was still deemed too warm by club spokesman Peter Lehmann.
- As the men from the winter swimming club "Pirrlliepausen" braved the uncharacteristic warmness, they could only reminisce about the thrill of hacking a swimming hole in the frozen lake under a sunny blue sky, where the water temperature was a chilling one degree above zero.
- Often referred to as an old North German expression, "Pirrlliepausen" is a term that resonates with these adventurous Christmas bathers, a testament to their fervor for the annual tradition.
- Alas, the Christmas bathers from Senftenberg will have to wait another year for the chilly experience that they require to fully embrace the spirit of this unique German festive custom.
- In the meantime, with the approaching storm depression, heavy rain and snow are expected, possibly bringing yet another dramatic twist to the unpredictable German winter weather.
Source: www.stern.de
