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Why ice bathing is growing in popularity among young Norwegians

A recent survey found that one-fifth of young people in Norway are planning on taking the plunge into icy waters this winter, if they haven't already. Experts predict the pastime will only increase in popularity.

Pictured is a ladder leading to icy waters.
Around 20 percent of young people in Norway will take the plunge into icy waters (pictured below), the survey has found. Photo by Brian Kyed on Unsplash

A Nordic tradition, the ice bath has seen a resurgence of popularity in recent years, and a survey has found that swimming in icy waters is increasing in popularity among young people in Norway.

As many as one fifth of young people are planning on wading into ice-cold waters this winter, a survey from the Norwegian Association for Outdoor Organisations found.

“My impression is that ice swimming has become more popular in the last year, and I predict that this is a trend we will see more of in the future,” general secretary of the association, Bente Lier, said of the survey’s findings on the organisation’s website.

Overall, around 13 percent of people said they intend on submerging themselves into teeth-chattering waters, seven percent fewer than those in younger age groups.

One of those who has made good on those plans in recent weeks is prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who made headlines with his annual New Year’s tradition of taking an ice bath.

The pastime of swimming in icy waters saw its popularity peak prior to World War Two before seeing a significant drop-off in popularity in the 60’s and 70’s and then a resurgence in interest in recent years.

READ MORE: Why the shocking cold of winter bathing is a Nordic favourite

Lier said that the increase in ice swimming’s popularity among those aged between 15-24 reflected the times we find ourselves in.

“The fact that this (ice swimming) has become popular can probably be linked to the time we are in, which means that you may need to try new activities and challenge yourself in new ways. Many people state that ice bathing gives an almost therapeutic effect and an enormous feeling of accomplishment,” Lier explained.

Another potential reason for the growing popularity of ice bathing could be its reported health benefits.

Research indicates that benefits of winter bathing include lower risk of infections, reduced inflammation, better stress control, and can help with dementia and depression.

When the body cools quickly, blood vessels contract, causing a rise in blood pressure in the central parts of the body and more circulation in the trunk than in the limbs.

At the same time, stress hormones adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol are released to raise blood sugar. This can leave swimmers feeling elation or less stressed afterwards.

Those with heart conditions or high blood pressure should consult a doctor before giving ice swimming a go, and all bathers are urged not to stay exposed to the cold for too long due to the risk of hypothermia. Winter bathing should not be done alone.

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DANISH TRADITIONS

Why is Maundy Thursday a holiday in Denmark and Norway but not in Sweden?

People in Denmark and Norway have the day off on Maundy Thursday, but people in Sweden still have to work. Why is this?

Why is Maundy Thursday a holiday in Denmark and Norway but not in Sweden?

Maundy Thursday marks the Last Supper, the day when Jesus was betrayed by his disciple Judas at a Passover meal, and depending on whether you’re speaking Swedish, Danish or Norwegian, It is known as skärtorsdagen, skærtorsdag, or skjærtorsdag.

Historically, it has also been called “Shere” or “Shere Thursday” in English with all four words “sheer”, meaning “clean” or “bright”. 

In the Nordics, whether or not it is a public holiday not depends on where you are: workers in Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands get the day off, but those in Sweden and Finland don’t.

The difference goes back to Sweden’s split from Denmark with the breakup of the Kalmar Union in 1523, and then the different ways the two countries carried out the Reformation and the establishment of their respective Lutheran churches. 

When Denmark’s King Christian III defeated his Roman Catholic rival in 1536, he imposed a far-reaching Reformation of the Church in Denmark, initially going much further in abolishing public holidays than anything that happened in Sweden. 

“Denmark carried out a much more extensive reduction of public holidays in connection with the Reformation,” Göran Malmstedt, a history professor at Gothenburg University, told The Local. “In Denmark, the king decided in 1537 that only 16 of the many medieval public holidays would be preserved, while in Sweden almost twice as many public holidays were retained through the decision in the Church Order of 1571.”

It wasn’t until 200 years later, that Sweden’s Enlightenment monarch, Gustav III decided to follow Denmark’s austere approach, axing 20 public holidays, Maundy Thursday included, in the calendar reform known in Sweden as den stora helgdöden, or “the big public holiday slaughter”.

Other public holidays to get abolished included the third and fourth days of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, ten days celebrating Jesus’ apostles, and the three days leading up to Ascension Day. 

“It was only when Gustav III decided in 1772 to abolish several of the old public holidays that the church year here came to resemble the Danish one,” Malmstedt said. 

At the time Finland was simply a part of Sweden (albeit one with a lot of Finnish speakers). The other Nordic countries, on the other hand, were all part of the rival Denmark-Norway. 

So if you live in the Nordics and are having to work on Maundy Thursday, now you know who to blame.  

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