- Title: Russians celebrate with underwater Santa and tree
- Date: 24th December 2016
- Summary: LAKE BAIKAL, IRKUTSK REGION, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DIVERS AROUND DECORATED CHRISTMAS TREE UNDER WATER DIVERS IN CARNIVAL COSTUMES DIVER IN COSTUME OF SANTA CLAUS NEAR TREE DECORATION ON TREE TOP VARIOUS OF DIVERS HOLDING HANDS IN CIRCLE AROUND TREE DIVER HANDING BOTTLE OF WINE TO DIVER DRESSED AS SANTA CLAUS DIVER IN COSTUME DIVERS AROUND TREE VARIOUS OF DIVERS DRINKING WINE UNDER WATER FROZEN LAKE SIDE ICICLES ON FENCE VARIOUS OF DIVERS COMING OUT OF WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIVER, VLADIMIR KISLYAKOV, SAYING: "The main idea is not to sit at home, but to go outdoors. One can dive or ski or dedicate some time to their children." DIVER IN COSTUME OF PIRATE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIVER, ALEXEI BEREZKOV, SAYING: "Underwater wine has a special after taste; it is not comparable to anything. It smells of New Year and oranges." VARIOUS OF FROZEN LAKE SIDE
- Embargoed: 8th January 2017 13:48
- Keywords: Russia Baikal underwater Christmas tree Christmas tree Christmas New Year celebration
- Location: LAKE BAIKAL, IRKUTSK REGION, RUSSIA
- City: LAKE BAIKAL, IRKUTSK REGION, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0015E8RWBD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Residents of the Siberian city of Irkutsk plunged into Lake Baikal on Saturday (December 24) for a year end celebration involving a Christmas tree, Santa Claus and wine.
Members of the New Dimension diving club set up the tree under the lake and held an underwater party, including drinking wine.
Divers, dressed in festival costumes of animals, pirates and Russian cartoon characters, held hands circling around a bright platform some 10 metres below the surface.
The event, which takes place on December 24 as a final dive of the year and borrows from Christmas themes, is held to mark the run up to New Year.
Christmas Day in Russia, under the Eastern Orthodox tradition, will be held on January 7, 2017.
Such underwater celebrations have already become a tradition with locals yearly braving almost minus 20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) surface temperatures to bring winter holiday spirit to the banks of the world's largest and deepest freshwater lake. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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