When people Break The Ice they take the initiative in breaking down formalities and getting started on a project. The idiom is over 500 years old and common in many European languages. Many European rivers used to ice over at the banks during the bitter winters; the River Thames would actually freeze completely and carnivals and fairs were held on its surface. However, those depending on the rivers for their livelihood didn't like these times so much and, every morning before work, would have to break the ice around the boats and cut a path out to where the water still flowed. For such people "breaking the ice" meant beginning their day's work.