Happy New Year! How are you spending the first day of 2019? Thousands of people spent it in the freezing cold waters of Lake Washington as part of the annual Polar Bear Plunge. Costumes were encouraged as participants gathered at Matthews Beach beforehand, and had warm refreshments waiting for them afterwards. Limited Badges of Courage were awarded to those who darned to fully submerge..HAPPY 2019! January 1, 2018. (Image: Sunita Martini / Seattle Refined)