In Italy, Romans have taken part in the traditional New Year celebration of jumping in the Tiber River. Most of the locals, as well as many tourists who just happen to be in Rome, take part in the New Year tradition of diving into the icy waters of Italy’s Tiber. While most jumpers often just jump in and wait for the freezing waters to envelop them, there are those that like to dive with flips and spins to celebrate the New Year.
This tradition of jumping into the icy waters of the Tiber first started in the new year of 1946, when several brave locals jumped into the river. Since then, the tradition was created of celebrating the New Year by jumping into the river. While there are several ways to do this, one of the most common is by jumping off of a bridge in central Rome.
“It’s my 30th jump,” said Maurizio Palmulli, a veteran diver, dressed in his swimsuit before the big jump. Palmulli also said that he wanted to “dedicate this year’s jump to all the families in difficulty, not only here in Rome but also in Italy and all over the world.” Aside from the freezing waters, which are barely above freezing temperatures, another challenge of the jump is the height from the bridge. The bridge is a good 20 meters or so high up the waters, so the impact and the water temperature can be quite painful for the celebrators.