January 1, 2023 - One of the most fun Croatian New Year traditions is swimming. Every region of the country knows its local legends who ensure never to miss the opportunity no matter the temperatures. This exceptionally warm winter might have made it a bit easier, but it was as legendary as ever.

As 24Sata writes, three weeks ago, young Ukrainians returned to Zadar from Montreal from the World Championship, where they competed in platform diving.

On the first day of 2023, they decided to practice jumping into the sea in Zadar.

They are gold world champions in platform diving from 10 and 12 meters. One of them won gold, another silver, and one even won the title of junior champion.

Some jumped in wetsuits, while some didn't mind the sea temperature so they didn't even wear one. Accor, ding to DHMZ, the sea temperature in Zadar is 14.8 degrees Celsius.

And more jumpers were found at the Greeting to the Sun in Zadar. The people of Zadar tasted their sea and decided to celebrate the new year in the same way.

Many swimmers in the Karlovac rivers

Brave swimmers plunged into the sea and rivers yesterday as well.

Swimming in cold rivers or the sea on New Year's Eve is a tradition many have practiced for years, including the 24Sata readers from Rab.

Swimming in the cold Drava is a tradition started more than three decades ago by Duško Rudež, the 'Seal from Osijek,' and continued this year in his honor by two young people from Osijek.

A special farewell to the Old Year and entry into the New Year in the Winter Harbor at exactly noon from Osijek's Promenade was followed by about a hundred people from Osijek who supported the two young men with a thunderous round of applause.

Saturday's air temperature of 15 degrees Celsius did not make the jump into the icy Drava any easier, said one of them, Bojan Marušić, and added that this was the warmest year since 2016 when, together with the legendary Tuljan (Seal), he first jumped into the Drava on New Year's Eve.

Marušić recalled that the Drava was really cold six years ago, but he also pointed out that it is cold this year, noting that it is better when there is less difference in air and water temperature.

When the air is colder, the body can more easily tolerate diving into cold water, and when it's this warm outside, the water feels freezing, Marušić explained. He thanked everyone who came to support them in continuing this tradition, which Osijek has known for a long time, and promised to continue nurturing this tradition. The deputy mayor of Osijek, Dragan Vulin, attended the traditional New Year's Eve swimming in the Drava, saying that it was in memory of Duško Rudež Tuljan, who died last year.

"Because of the man who started this tradition, who swam 32 times in this place, precisely on New Year's Eve, and last jumped into the Drava in 2018, it is important that this tradition is kept, and I believe that it will continue to be so", said Vulin. It should be noted that Duško Rudež's mission was to point out the ragweed problem by diving into the cold Drava on New Year's Eve as one of the pressing problems for the citizens of Osijek.

Zvonimir Karadža Kara (71) from Slavonski Brod saw off another New Year in his traditional way - by swimming in the icy Sava.

His friends faithfully cheered him on this year as he jumped from his friends' rafts in Splavarska Street in Slavonski Brod.

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