The best, most horrified faces from the annual Polar Bear swim

Toronto, Canada, polar bear swim. — (Image credit: (Shutterjet/Demotix/Corbis))

Quick quiz for you.

How did you spend New Year's Day?

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If you answered C, congratulations! You are one of the completely nutty members of the Polar Bear swim club. Every January 1, members of this group dress in elaborate costumes, T-shirts, or their summer skivvies, and congregate in winter-climate cities from New York City to Seattle to take one very frigid plunge into icy waters. A curious New Year's tradition, to be sure.

If you're nonetheless feeling excluded by answering A or B, here are our favorite photos of excruciating expressions that prove yours was the right answer.

Lauren Hansen produces The Weekâ€™s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.