Samichlaus Schwimmen

Zurich’s Limmat river is the scene of this winter charity fundraiser in which several hundred people dressed only in swimming costumes and Santa hats attempt to swim a 111m-course from one bank to the other in distinctly nippy water, some compounding the chill by attempting to eat an ice lolly along the way. Their prize? A cup of Knorr soup and that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from helping a charity... and getting chilblains. Organised by the city, there are scuba divers on hand to help out struggling swimmers, while participants’ belongings are ferried across the river by support boats.