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The video above shows a crowd running into the Pacific Ocean at a New Year's Day polar plunge countdown. It  is an annual tradition for many beach communities and cities in California.

The Polar Plunge is most often celebrated on New Year's Day, January 1, at California beaches. A quick run into the Pacific Ocean seems bone chilling to participants, but put in perspective, it is one of the warmer climes for this type of event. Celebrated in the chilly Atlantic--Hamptons or Montauk, New York,  in Arctic waters and even the Antarctic, Californians can be thankful the ocean temperature for beaches in California seldom dips below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Polar Runs in California don't take place strictly in the ocean, however. Sometimes they occur in lakes, as well. Such events have become fund-raisings effort for numerous organizations, including the Special Olympics of Southern California.  Variations on the Polar Plunge include La Jolla Cove Swim Club's 2 mile Polar Bear Swim. The group meets up at La Jolla Cove (Coast Blvd.) and invites all interested athletes to join in.

What is a polar run, polar bear plunge, etc.? It is a gathering of people who walk, run or dive into a body of water at a designated time. Some clubs such as the La Jolla swim club actually swim in the Pacific Ocean 2 miles, but most events are a bit more sedentary, requiring you only enter the water, then get out. Some have rules that you can't wear a wet suit to keep warm. The idea of the event is presented as a sort of challenge to enter cold water, but strength to do it together in a communal manner. What started as a simple event to just "do" and continues as such in many countries and destinations, has transformed into an event requiring effort to raise money or pay a fee to go to some needy cause. There are organizations eager to help you launch your own plunge event as a fund-raiser for their nonprofit org., but for those seeking pure and simple fun, you can arrange to meet friends and have your own event without much fuss.

VENICE BEACH - Venice Penguin Swim Club New Year's Dive. Join this lively group for its 46th annual dip. They go into the ocean at Noon. (310) 390-5700

LOS ANGELES

This 7th annual event will allow attendees to take a plunge on New Year's Day. Warm refreshments and bonfire will be provided afterward.
Tuesday, January 1: 8 a.m.
Price: Free.
Call: 818-899-3779
Polar Bear Swim
Jan. 1
This 7th annual event will allow attendees to take a plunge on New Year's Day. Warm refreshments and bonfire will be provided afterward. Location: Hansen Dam Aquatic Center, 11798 Foothill Blvd., L.A.

HERMOSA BEACH

People who feel the need to punish themselves for having no fun or too much fun on New Year’s Eve are invited to cleanse their spirits by participating in The 18th Annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge. The plunge takes place rain or shine, storm drain run-off or not, at 9 a.m. in front of the 16th Street Hermosa Beach lifeguard tower.

Polar Bear Plunge -- 11 a.m., Redding Aquatic Center, 44 Quartz Hill Road, Redding. Receive a certificate and polar bear pin. Warm beverages and prizes available for all participants. Contests include Best Polar Bear Hat, Oldest Polar Bear, Youngest Polar Bear, Biggest Polar Bear Splash and a 50-meter Race, $25 (late registrants may not receive a T-shirt), call 225-4095 to register.