Ready, Set Freeze!!!

In Switzerland, December 6 is known as "Samichlaus" day. This is the German translation of St. Nicholas day. Samichlaus comes to visit little children with his list of sins the children has done and has them recite a poem for forgiveness. If they say the poem Samichlaus will give them oranges, nuts, and gingerbread.
The tradition in Zurich to celebrate this day is the "Samichlausschwimmen" where crazy fools like Zann swim across the lake for 111 meters for fun. Not my idea of fun to swim in water that is 7 degrees celcius and the air was about 4 degrees celcius.

Ready to swim.

All the crazy fools waiting in line to jump into ice cold water.

No worries becuase there were scuba divers to find anyone that ended up on the bottom of the lake.

Zann, Nathan, and Nathan's friends from work. Atleast they give you a festive hat.

This was my view from the finish line. Just looking at this picture makes me cold. And the water in the lake is coming straight from the mountians. BRRRR

Some people got a little excited.

And they're off!

You're almost there!

Nathan looks like he wants to die.

And he made it. Now for some soup and gluhwein!