New year madness

Freezing cold plunges, snow covered runs and good old tradition mark the new year around the world. MOREINFO: New year was celebrated with swimming in icy water in the U.S. and the Netherlands while Germans preferred to run through their own freezing weather conditions. The Brits kept their clothes on and watched a traditional parade to hail 2008. SCRIPT: Some like it hot... and some like it very very cold indeed. You could call it brave - you might be tempted to call it insane - but these swimmers are plunging into waters of sub zero temperatures to celebrate the new year. A record number of 689 people took part in the annual Polar Plunge on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota in the United States. Temperatures were minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit but wind chill made it feel much colder, as reflected on some swimmers' faces. In the Netherlands, the North Sea temperatures were a little higher and the mood a little lighter as these new year swimmers took the the water. The emphasis was more on fun than endurance, and more than nine thousand hardy swimmers took part in what has become an annual tradition in the Hague. New year weather in Berlin in Germany was pretty grim with freezing temperatures and plenty of snow. But it didn't put off runners taking the opportunity to exercise off a few pounds gained over the Christmas season on the traditional news year's day run. The less energetic took part in snowman building, which came as revelation to some. SOUNDBITE: Colombian Tourist Diana Neira saying: (Spanish) "We don't have snow in Bogota so we find it really amusing to make snowballs and build a snowman." Over the in the UK New Year was celebrated with a good old fashioned parade through the streets of central London. Mess from the previous night's firework celebrations had been rapidly clear to make way for chinese dragons, marching bands and parade princesses as crowds lined the streets. The new year parade is an annual event in the British capital...