At least 50,000 people have taken part in some 220 New Year Swims in sea and lakes throughout the Netherlands to mark January 1, 2020.

The biggest sea dip took place at the seaside resort of Scheveningen, where some 10,000 people braved the water.

The first Scheveningen Nieuwjaarsduik took place in 1965 and the event is sponsored by smoked sausage maker Unox, which provides all the swimmers with an orange hat. Unox now sponsors 140 swims nationwide plus a handful abroad, according to the Telegraaf.

The main swim has only been cancelled once – in 2007 – when the weather was too cold and strong currents made the sea too dangerous.

Read more at DutchNews.nl:

10000 people just ran into the sea at freezing temperatures 😃 #nieuwjaarsduik pic.twitter.com/7PZJGBPWGc

— Frans Bouma (@FransBouma) January 1, 2020

4 degrees centigrade, 39 Fahrenheit. Still I decided to do the traditional #nieuwjaarsduik together with my son Viggo. And 10,000 other crazy people. His second, my first. Fresh way to start the new year. pic.twitter.com/yddrUSzBmD

— Willem-Jan Ageling (@WJAgeling) January 1, 2020

First Swim to fight cancer New Years swim done with my brothers at 0 degrees Celsius. An act for good to a cause that came much too close last year. #swimtofightcancer #nieuwjaarsduik pic.twitter.com/b8mVJ4MHWx

— Richard van Dantzig 🇳🇱 (@rvandantzig) January 1, 2020

Nieuwjaarsduik. Traditie. Deze Ter Apel pic.twitter.com/ZajmUK9k39

— 112Groningen.nl (@112groningennl) January 1, 2020

Weer een mooie #nieuwjaarsduik in #Houten #happynewyear2020 pic.twitter.com/MVu8O5BBwn

— uǝʇoɹɥɔS ʞǝᴉN (@niekschroten) January 1, 2020