Rome, Jan. 2, (dpa/GNA) – The coronavirus pandemic changed the way many people celebrated the New Year’s holiday, but in Rome, one tradition held on: taking a cold dip in the Tiber River.
Several men kept the tradition alive on Friday. One of the brave souls was Valter Schirra, who plunged head-first from an 18-metre-high structure into the muddy brown water while wearing only some bathing trousers and a pair of trainers.
In normal times, these New Year’s antics draw a crowd in the Italian capital. However, restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus meant fewer onlookers in 2021.
Many squares in the Italian capital where people gather to celebrate were empty on New Year’s Eve, though fireworks and firecrackers could still be heard despite a ban on them.
GNA