Here is why hundreds in US jumped into ice-cold water in Santa Hats to ring in 2020

New York: 2020 began in frigid fanfare for hundreds of people who splashed through the Atlantic Ocean during the annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club Plunge.

Swimmers wearing Santa hats and other costume braved 40-degree temperatures (4 degrees Celsius) to partake in the New York City tradition.

The weather was chillier than last year, when the mercury rose unseasonably high into the upper 50s (13 to 15 Celsius).

The event dates to 1903 and raises money for various charities.

Polar bear plunges were also held in such locales as North Beach, Maryland; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Perth, Ontario.