The Hague, Jan 2 (IANS): The Dutch started the New Year by plunging into the cold water of the North Sea for a traditional dive that dates back to 1960.

As many as 50,000 people had a good time by making a quick dip into the sea at various locations along the Dutch coast, according to local media reports quoting the organisers of the traditional event on Sunday.

At the beach of Scheveningen in the Hague, nearly 10,000 people wearing swim suits dived into the water at around noon after a warm-up along with lively music and songs, Xinhua news agency reported.

Similar events were also held in Dutch cities, including De Bilt, Bloemendaal, Zandvoort and Leeuwarden.

The Dutch swimmers were luckier this year as the New Year, with a temperature of about 7 degrees Celsius in the North Sea water, was reportedly the warmest ever measured in the Netherlands.

The Dutch tradition started in 1960 in Zandvoort, a coastal city in the province of North Holland, before gradually growing into a popular nationwide event for the Dutch people to greet the New Year.