In a festive atmosphere, 700 courageous people started 2025 with the traditional New Year's bath in Gruissan. Atmosphere.
A New Year at the Chalets. Here, no snow or ski slopes nearby, only the beach and a Mediterranean Sea unaccustomed to seeing so many people disembark in the middle of winter.
The Chalets beach once again this year hosted the now traditional Gruissan New Year's Bath.
After the establishment of a costume competition in 2024, the Grussanot festival committee, organizer of the event, extended the initiative by distributing, before going into the water, five prizes to the different winners, designated by a jury.
“It’s a way to start the new year with a great challenge”
Half of the 700 bathers identified by the organizers took out their most beautiful outfits, such as the pilots and flight attendants of “Air Gruissan”, Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI or the very noisy team of emperor and king penguins and never the last when it comes to clapping hands and setting the mood, were able to rush off side by side for a first bath of the year.
The Independent – PHILIPPE LEBLANC
“I do it every year, it’s a way to start the new year with a great challenge,” indicated Pascal, retired, disguised as a bee. On the starting line, Joris, both a giant bottle of soda and a speaker, raised the spirits and the courageous swimmers, young and old, jumped up and down and sang as if to give themselves courage.
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“I'm too cold. When I see them in swimsuits, it gives me chills”explained Virginie, hat on her head and down jacket closed to the neck. “I come for the Nice atmosphere, the good mood, laughing when I see the costumes…”enthused Cathy, a little further on.
Water at 13°C.
Like Virginie and Cathy, there were hundreds of them, more numerous than the swimmers, who came with their feet in the sand to witness the event.
Once the foghorn signal sounded, everyone had their own technique for jumping into the water. A straight sprint until diving completely, one toe after the other and small steps or a traditional “wetting of the neck”. A few seconds and only the calves for some, five minutes and their heads underwater for others, the main thing was to participate in the party.
Independant – PHILIPPE LEBLANC
“A good glass of mulled wine and a coffee will do you goodsaid Joris, one of the organizers, as he left the Big Blue. Here, there is always a little wind; but today the weather is rather good (11° C.) and the atmosphere even better than other years.”
“Light the fire”, the sound of Johnny Hallyday, accompanied the return of the bathers, ready to warm up, to their towels, after a bath in water at 13° C., and the feeling of having perfectly launched the new year .
