When to swim on Epiphany - January 18 or 19- this question is asked very often on the days of Epiphany and Epiphany.
The most important thing you need to know about the Baptism of the Lord is not when to swim (it is not at all necessary to plunge into an ice hole on this day), but that on this day the Lord Jesus Christ himself was baptized. Therefore, on January 18 in the evening and January 19 in the morning, it is important to be in church for the service, confess, take communion and take holy water, the great agiasma.
They bathe, according to tradition, after the evening service on January 18 and on the night of January 18-19. Access to the fonts is usually open on January 19 throughout the day.
Common questions about bathing at Epiphany
Is it necessary to swim in an ice hole at Epiphany?
Is it necessary to swim at Epiphany? And if there is no frost, will bathing be Epiphany?
In any church holiday, it is necessary to distinguish between its meaning and the traditions that have developed around it. The main thing in the feast of the Epiphany is the Epiphany, the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, the voice of God the Father from heaven “This is my beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit descending on Christ. The main thing for a Christian on this day is presence at church services, confession and Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and communion of baptismal water.
The established traditions of swimming in cold ice holes are not directly related to the Feast of the Epiphany itself, are not mandatory and, most importantly, do not cleanse a person of sins, which, unfortunately, is discussed a lot in the media.
Such traditions should not be treated as magical rites - the holiday of the Epiphany is celebrated by Orthodox Christians in hot Africa, America, and Australia. After all, the palm branches of the feast of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem were replaced by willows in Russia, and the consecration of grapevines on the Transfiguration of the Lord was replaced by the blessing of the apple harvest. Also, on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord, all waters will be sanctified, regardless of their temperature.
Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev
Jordan is not a Pool of Sheep (see John 5:1-4), and must be approached with caution
Archpriest Sergiy Vogulkin, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa” in the city of Yekaterinburg, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor:
Probably, we should start not with swimming in the Epiphany frosts, but with the most blessed feast of Epiphany. By the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, all water, in all its forms, is sanctified, because for two thousand years the water of the Jordan River, which touched the blessed body of Christ, rose to the heavens millions of times, floated in the clouds and again returned as raindrops to the earth. What is it in - in trees, lakes, rivers, grass? Pieces of her are everywhere. And now the feast of Epiphany is approaching, when the Lord gives us an abundance of consecrated water. Concern awakens in every person: what about me? After all, this is my chance to cleanse myself! Don't miss it! And so people, without hesitation, even with some kind of despair, rush to the ice hole and, having plunged, then talk about their “feat” for a whole year. Did they partake of the grace of our Lord or did they gratify their pride?
An Orthodox person walks calmly from one church holiday to another, observing fasts, confessing and receiving communion. And he prepares for Epiphany slowly, deciding with his family who, after confession and communion, will be honored to plunge into the Jordan, according to the ancient Russian tradition, and who, due to being a child or indisposed, will wash their face with holy water, or take a bath at a holy spring, or simply take holy water with prayer as a spiritual medicine. Thank God, we have plenty to choose from, and we don’t need to take risks thoughtlessly if a person is weakened by illness. The Jordan is not a Pool of Sheep (see John 5:1-4), and must be approached with caution. An experienced priest will not bless everyone for a bath. He will take care of choosing a place, strengthening the ice, a gangway, a warm place to undress and dress, and the presence of one of the Orthodox medical workers. Here, mass baptism will be appropriate and beneficial.
Another thing is the mass of desperate people who decided, without a blessing or just basic thought, to swim “for company” in icy water. Here we are not talking about the strength of the spirit, but about the strength of the body. A strong spasm of skin vessels in response to the action of cold water leads to the fact that a mass of blood rushes into the internal organs - the heart, lungs, brain, stomach, liver, and for people with poor health this can end badly.
The danger especially increases for those who were preparing for “purification” in the ice hole by smoking and alcohol. The flow of blood to the lungs will only increase chronic inflammation of the bronchi, which always accompanies smoking, and can cause swelling of the bronchial wall and pneumonia. Long-term use of alcohol or acute intoxication in warm water always leads to misfortunes, to say nothing of swimming in an ice hole. The arterial vessels of an alcoholic or a domestic drunkard, even if he is relatively young, are not able to respond correctly to massive cold exposure; in these cases, paradoxical reactions can be expected, including cardiac and respiratory arrest. With such bad habits and in such a state, it is better not to approach the ice hole.
– Explain, after all, why an Orthodox person needs to bathe in ice water on Epiphany when it’s thirty degrees below zero outside?
Priest Svyatoslav Shevchenko: – It is necessary to distinguish between folk customs and church liturgical practice. The Church does not call believers to climb into icy water - everyone decides for themselves individually. But today the custom of plunging into a frosty hole has become something newfangled for non-church people. It is clear that on major Orthodox holidays there is a religious surge among the Russian people - and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is not very good is that people limit themselves to this superficial ablution. Moreover, some seriously believe that by bathing in the Epiphany Jordan, they will wash away all the sins that have accumulated over the year. These are pagan superstitions, and they have nothing in common with church teaching. Sins are forgiven by the priest in the sacrament of Penance. In addition, in the search for thrills, we miss the main essence of the holiday of Epiphany.
Where did the tradition of diving into an ice hole at Epiphany come from? Is it necessary for every Orthodox Christian to do this? Do priests bathe in ice water? What is the place of this tradition in the Christian hierarchy of values?
Faith is not tested by swimming
Bathing at Epiphany is a relatively new tradition. Neither in the historical literature about Ancient Rus', nor in the memoirs of pre-revolutionary Russia did I read that somewhere on Epiphany they cut through ice and swam. But there is nothing wrong with this tradition itself, you just need to understand that the Church does not force anyone to swim in cold water.
The consecration of water is a reminder that the Lord is everywhere, sanctifying the entire nature of the earth, and the earth was created for man, for life. Without understanding that God is with us everywhere, without spiritual understanding of the feast of Epiphany, Epiphany bathing turns into a sport, a love of extreme sports. It is important to feel the presence of the Trinity, which permeates all natural nature, and to join precisely this presence. And the rest, including bathing in a consecrated spring, is just a relatively new tradition.
I serve in the center of Moscow, far from the water, so swimming is not practiced in our parish. But, for example, I know that in the Trinity Church in Ostankino, which is located near the Ostankino ponds, they consecrate water and wash themselves with it. Those who have been swimming for more than a year should continue to swim. And if a person wants to join this tradition for the first time, I would advise him to think about whether his health allows him, whether he tolerates the cold well. Faith is not tested by bathing.
The spiritual meaning is in the blessing of water, not in bathing
Today the Church does not prohibit swimming in reservoirs, but before the revolution it had a negative attitude towards it. Father Sergius Bulgakov in his “Handbook for a Clergyman” writes the following:
«… In some places there is a custom to bathe in rivers on this day (especially those who dressed up, told fortunes, etc., bathed during Christmastide, superstitiously attributing to this bath a cleansing power from these sins). Such a custom cannot be justified by the desire to imitate the example of the Savior’s immersion in water, as well as the example of Palestinian pilgrims who bathe in the Jordan River at all times. In the east it is safe for pilgrims, because there is no such cold and such frosts as ours.
The belief in the healing and cleansing power of water, consecrated by the Church on the very day of the Savior’s baptism, cannot speak in favor of such a custom, because swimming in winter means demanding a miracle from God or completely neglecting your life and health».
(S. V. Bulgakov, “Handbook for priests and church ministers”, Publishing department of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1993, reprint of the 1913 edition, p. 24, footnote 2)
In my opinion, if you do not associate bathing with pagan beliefs, there is nothing wrong with it. Those who are healthy enough can take a dip, but don’t look for any spiritual meaning in it. Epiphany water has spiritual significance, but you can drink a drop of it, or sprinkle it on yourself, and it is absurd to think that the one who has bathed will necessarily receive more grace than the one who drank a sip. Receiving grace does not depend on this.
Not far from one of the churches of our deanery, in Opalikha, there is a clean pond, I know that the clergy of the temple sanctify the water there. Why not? The Typikon allows this. Of course, at the end of the liturgy or, when Christmas Eve falls on Saturday or Sunday, at the end of Great Vespers. The consecration of water by the Great Rite at other times is permissible in exceptional cases.
For example, it happens that one priest is the rector of three rural churches at once. He cannot serve two liturgies a day. And so the priest serves and blesses the water in one temple, and travels to two others, sometimes tens of kilometers away, to bless the water especially for local residents. Then, of course, let's assume the Great Order. Or in a nursing home, if it is impossible to perform the Epiphany liturgy there, you can also perform the Great Blessing of Water.
If, for example, a pious rich man wants to sanctify the water in his pond, there is nothing wrong with this, but in this case it is necessary to sanctify it with the Lesser Rite.
Well, when, as in Opalikha, after the prayer behind the pulpit there is a procession of the cross, the water in the pond is blessed, and then everyone returns to the church and finishes the liturgy, the church rite is not violated. And whether the priests and parishioners will then plunge into the ice hole is everyone’s personal matter. You just need to approach this wisely.
One of our parishioners is an experienced walrus, she even goes to walrus competitions. Naturally, she enjoys bathing at Epiphany too. But people become walruses by gradually tempering them. If a person is not frost-resistant and often catches colds, it would be unreasonable on his part to climb into an ice hole without preparation. If he thus wants to be convinced of the power of God, then let him consider whether he is not tempting the Lord by this.
There was a case when an elderly hieromonk - I knew him - decided to pour ten buckets of Epiphany water on himself. During such a dousing, he died - his heart could not stand it. Like any swimming in cold water, Epiphany bathing requires preliminary preparation. Then it can be beneficial to health, but without preparation it can be harmful.
I'm talking about physical health, perhaps mental health - cold water invigorates - but not spiritual health. There is spiritual meaning in the very sacrament of consecration of water, and not in bathing. It is not so important whether a person bathes in the Epiphany ice hole; it is much more important whether he comes to the festive liturgy, whether he receives the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Naturally, as an Orthodox priest, I wish everyone not only to come on this day for Epiphany water, but to pray during the service and, if possible, receive communion. But all of us, Orthodox Christians, must treat people who come with love and understanding, with condescension towards human weakness. If someone comes only for water, it is wrong to tell him that he is this and that and will not receive grace. It’s not for us to judge this.
In the biography of the righteous Alexy Mechev, I read how he advised one spiritual daughter, whose husband was an unbeliever, that she should give him prosphora. “Father, he eats it with soup,” she soon complained. "So what? Let it be with soup,” answered Father Alexy. And in the end, that man turned to God.
From this, of course, it does not follow that it is necessary to distribute prosphora to all unbelieving relatives, but the example given shows that God's grace often acts in a way that is incomprehensible to us. Same with water. The man came only for water, but perhaps, through these external actions, without realizing it, he is drawn to God and will eventually come to Him. For now, let us rejoice that he remembers the feast of Epiphany and came to church in the first place.
Swimming is just the beginning
The tradition of bathing at Epiphany is a late one. And one should treat it depending on why a person bathes. Let me make an analogy with Easter. Everyone knows that on Holy Saturday tens or even hundreds of thousands of people go to church to bless Easter cakes.
If they really don’t know that this is only a tiny part of the joy that Easter is for a believer, they come to church with reverence and sincerely pray, for them it is still a meeting with the Lord.
If, from year to year, they hear that this is not the most important thing, and the priest, blessing the Easter cakes, each time invites them to come to the night service, to share with everyone the joy of the Risen Lord, explains the meaning of the service, and their communication with the Church still comes down to the blessing of Easter cakes, which is, of course, sad.
The same goes for swimming. If a person, completely unfamiliar with church life, plunges into the water with reverence, turning to the Lord in the way he knows how, sincerely desiring to receive grace, the Lord, of course, will give grace, and this person will have a meeting with God.
I think that when a person sincerely seeks God, sooner or later he will understand that bathing is just the beginning, and it is much more important to be at the all-night vigil and liturgy. If Epiphany bathing serves as a stepping stone to beginning to celebrate this holiday in a truly Christian way, at least in a few years, such bathing can only be welcomed.
Unfortunately, many people treat it simply as one of the extreme sports. Often the bathing of non-church people involves obscene jokes and excessive drinking. Just like the once popular wall-to-wall fights, such fun does not bring a person one step closer to the Lord.
But many of those who do not allow themselves any indecency do not come to the service - they usually swim at night and consider that they have already joined the holiday, sleep off, satisfied with themselves - they have proven that they are strong in body and their faith is strong. They proved it to themselves, but this is self-deception.
Of course, it is not necessary to swim at night, you can after the service. Our church is located in the center, there is nowhere to swim nearby, but some parishioners travel to other areas or to the Moscow region. Sometimes they consult with me, I never object if I see that a person is really doing this for the sake of the Lord. But one priest I know, a very good one, plunged into an ice hole for several years in a row and fell ill every time after that. This means that his bathing was displeasing to the Lord, and the Lord admonished him through his illness - now he does not bathe.
I've never swam either. It’s quite a long way for me to travel to the nearest consecrated reservoirs; if I spend half the night on the road and swimming, I won’t be able to confess to the parishioners and serve the liturgy as I should. But sometimes my mother, my children and I doused ourselves with Epiphany water on the street, in the snow. I live outside the city, and after returning from the all-night vigil, the whole family doused themselves. But it’s possible outside the city; in Moscow you won’t be able to do that.
And what does Baptism have to do with it?
I’m somehow not particularly puzzled by the issue of night Epiphany diving. If a person wants to, let him dive; if he doesn’t want to, let him not dive. Just what does diving in an ice hole have to do with the feast of the Epiphany?
For me, these dips are just fun, extreme. Our people love something so unusual. Lately it has become fashionable and popular to dive into an ice hole at Epiphany, then drink vodka, and then tell everyone about your such Russian piety.
This is a Russian tradition, like fist fights on Maslenitsa. It has exactly the same relation to the celebration of Epiphany as fist fights have to the celebration of Forgiveness Resurrection.
“Dipping into an ice hole is a Russian pious tradition,
having no sacramental meaning"
— Taking a dip in an ice hole on the feast of Epiphany is a Russian pious tradition that has no sacramental significance, and the Church does not oblige anyone to strictly observe it. Actually, quite a lot has already been written about this. It all depends on the desire of the person. But for many believers this tradition is very important.
For example, in Moscow, where I was born and raised, the tradition of consecrating a font carved out of ice was resumed en masse in the nineties. At the Metochion of Optina Pustyn in Ostankino, which is now the Metochion of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', on the feast of Epiphany a night service was certainly held, which according to the rules was very long, and in the morning, when dawn was barely breaking, a procession of the Cross took place around the Ostankino pond, after which the abbot consecrated a font specially carved into the ice. And then old people, women, children, of course, and adult men - everyone who wanted to - plunged into the consecrated ice hole. It was, however, customary to go to the priest before bathing and take a blessing for this.
In this sense, the question that you need to take a shower on the night of Epiphany looks rather strange. After all, if the tradition of “going to the Jordan” goes back to the Holy Gospel story, when the Savior received John’s baptism in the waters of the Jordan, then what significance can the need to take a shower on Epiphany night have? Rather, it looks like some kind of superstition or delusion.
Indeed, a lot of people at Epiphany, without going to the temple of God and without thinking about the deepest meaning of the holiday - the Epiphany of the Lord, strive to plunge three times into the ice hole simply because they want to experience some extreme situation in life, or, perhaps, to raise their spiritual mood, or just “for the company.” In their life, of course, this will not change anything: “God willing, we will swim again next year,” and that’s all. But I know of at least one case when a person who came to “swim” with a noisy company then went to a nearby temple, where someone clearly and accurately explained to him the meaning of why he had just plunged into icy water. The young man began to go to church, to worship services, then to confess and receive communion. Here, probably, a lot depends on us - people who must explain to others the meaning and significance of this or that church action, traditions, and do it correctly and in an accessible language.
I believe that the main benefit for a Christian through the symbolic after the service can be a greater familiarization with the reality of the feast of Epiphany - the Epiphany of the Lord. We recently celebrated the Nativity of Christ and, together with the angels and shepherds, praised the Incarnation of Jesus Christ into the world “for our salvation.” On the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Holy Church reminds us of the great mystery of God the Trinity, revealed to the whole world more than 2000 years ago in the waters of the Jordan River. This is the reality that the Church lives by and into which every Christian is called to enter.
“Swimming in an ice hole has nothing to do with
has no connection to spiritual life"
— In my opinion, swimming in an ice hole has nothing to do with spiritual life. This is one of the traditions that, unfortunately, has grown into superstition. You need to approach such procedures with reason, take care of your health and not risk it. People who do not go to church, do not confess and do not receive communion, in my opinion, will not receive any spiritual benefit from swimming in an ice hole. Many of those who traditionally plunge into the ice hole at the Epiphany of the Lord later say that upon emerging from the cold water they experienced relief and euphoria: “It was as if they had been born again and had left all their sins in the ice hole.” There is a medical explanation for this condition. Immersion in ice water is a great stress for the body. And under stress, the hormone adrenaline is released into the blood, under the influence of which such sensations arise. This state has nothing to do with spirituality.
People believe that by coming to the ice hole for Epiphany once a year, they are thereby leading a Christian life. This is a deep misconception. There is no need to lull your Christian conscience with this. There is also an opinion that if a person plunges into the ice hole three times, the Lord will immediately forgive all his sins. This is also not true, because sins are forgiven to a person in the Sacrament of Confession, and then with a deep, contrite and repentant feeling, when a person repented with all his might before God and began to fight against sin. It is then that the Lord, seeing these works, forgives the person’s sins - again in the Sacrament of Confession, and not in the ice hole. It does not happen that a person sins all year, then comes to an ice hole, plunges into it three times and is freed from sin. People do not understand that they will continue to live as they lived in sin if they do not turn to true and deep repentance and begin confession.
“You can’t only swim in Epiphany water,
but you can’t even baptize children.”
- On the feast of the Epiphany and the day before - on Epiphany Eve - a great consecration of water is performed in memory of the Epiphany on the Jordan River. This is the holy water of the great agiasma, the great shrine. In the last decade, bathing in holy water has become widespread. Unfortunately, people often plunge into icy water without prayer, in a drunken state, and even screaming obscenely. Without remembering the Lord Jesus Christ, the great church holiday was turned into entertainment and an occasion for sin. Many people do not know that not only is it forbidden to swim in Epiphany water, but it is even forbidden to baptize children. Epiphany water, as a great shrine, should be distributed for the consecration of houses, for reverent sprinkling. It can be drunk with prayer and reverence. Usually they drink it on an empty stomach, but in special cases you can drink holy water after eating: in emergency circumstances, during terrible temptations, and also, according to tradition, on the very day of the holiday.
This is what we read in the clergyman’s handbook, published at the end of the 20th century:
“The consecration of water for Baptism is one of the most important parts of the rite, which has the deepest connection with the Sacrament itself. The importance of these prayers is evidenced by the fact that even in the abbreviated rite of Baptism “fear of death,” where the rite of prohibition of evil spirits and the Creed is omitted, the prayer for the consecration of water is preserved.
It is water that reveals to us the meaning of Baptism. In prayers and actions during the consecration of water for Baptism, all sides of the Sacrament are revealed, its connection with the world and matter, with life in all its manifestations is shown. Water is the oldest religious symbol. From a Christian point of view, three main aspects of this symbolism seem important. Firstly, water is the primary cosmic element. At the beginning of creation, “...the Spirit of God hovered over the waters” (Gen. 1:2). At the same time, she is a symbol of destruction and death. The basis of life, the life-giving force and the basis of death, the destructive force: this is the dual image of water in Christian theology. And finally, water is a symbol of purification, rebirth and renewal. This symbolism permeates all of Holy Scripture, entering the narrative of creation, the Fall and salvation. We meet water at the very beginning of the book of Genesis, where it signifies creation itself, the Cosmos. When “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually...” (Gen. 6:5), He brought down His righteous wrath on men and washed away their sins in the waters. global flood. The Lord commanded Moses to install a laver in the tabernacle and fill it with water to wash the hands and feet of the high priest before making sacrifices to God. As a sign of the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New, Saint John the Baptist called the people to repentance and cleansing from sins in the waters of the Jordan. And the Lord Jesus Christ Himself sanctified the water element by receiving Baptism from John...
The use of Epiphany water during Baptism, as well as holy water in general, is allowed only in those cases where the use of even unconsecrated water is permitted, that is, during the Baptism of infants by laymen out of fear for the sake of a mortal.”
That is, even for the Baptism of infants, the water of the great agiasma cannot be used except in the most extreme cases, when it is impossible to consecrate ordinary water for the Sacrament of Baptism. A baby can’t be baptized in it, but drunk guys can swim in it?!
According to your faith it will be yours. But you cannot test or tempt the Lord your God. We cannot risk the health of our children and our own health in the hope that God will protect us if we act foolishly. How many people got heart attacks from sudden immersion in icy water, how many children got pneumonia due to hypothermia! The enemy of the human race, the devil, tries to take out the inner spiritual saving essence from everything that is good, churchly, holy, replacing it with an external, empty one that has no connection with the Lord Jesus Christ and the eternal salvation of the soul. It seems that they celebrated Easter by going to the cemetery and drinking vodka there, but in fact they only sinned and did not even remember the Risen Christ. It seems that they celebrated Epiphany by plunging into icy water with whoops and screams, but in fact they did not remember the cleansing of the soul from sin and treated the holy water of the great shrine without any reverence. It seems that we celebrated the New Year joyfully, but we didn’t remember that the New Year is from the Nativity of Christ, that we should not rejoice at the change of numbers in the calendar of our gadget, but at the Incarnation of the Son of God, who came down from Heaven for us for the sake of man and for our salvation...
“If a person plunges into the Epiphany ice hole,
let this be a symbol of renewal for him"
— In our Russian tradition, immersion in holy springs is generally very common, and at any time of the year. And the spring water is always cold; the temperature there is about 4 degrees all year round. This is a kind of folk asceticism when a Russian Orthodox person, visiting a holy place, certainly plunges into the source - he tries to come into contact with the shrine as closely as possible. On the day of Epiphany, we remember the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and someone also plunges into the newly consecrated ice hole in order to be completely immersed in the image of the Savior.
Of course, swimming in an ice hole is not an indispensable part of the Epiphany holiday. The Church Charter does not specifically prescribe this. This is an established pious custom, so there is no need to reproach those who are not accustomed to winter swimming and are afraid to plunge into icy water. After all, the main purpose of holy water is to drink it little by little, to sprinkle your home; holy water should contribute to our spiritual life. Having brought holy water from the temple, you need to sprinkle it on all the rooms, and then drink it on an empty stomach in the morning with prayer and accept it as a blessing from God. This is what is important, and not taking a shower on the day of Epiphany or the inevitable immersion in an ice hole.
It is necessary to take into account the health characteristics of different people. After all, Christ received Baptism not in the Russian winter ice hole, but in the warmer Jordan. How to be? If a Christian with poor health, for example, with a heart condition, for whom immersion in an ice hole itself is not a very useful stress, is immersed in an ice hole, then my personal attitude towards this will probably be twofold. Or, as they say, “according to your faith, be it done to you” - and for the faith of the immersed person, the Lord will protect him from unwanted manifestations of the disease, and maybe even heal him. Or, if you do not have strong faith, then, as they say, “do not tempt the Lord your God,” do not take on feats that do not correspond to your strength.
There are people who rarely go to church, do not confess or receive communion, but at Epiphany they always plunge into an ice hole. Sometimes they say that such immersion washes away all sins from a person. It must be remembered that all sins are washed away from a person only in two cases - in the sacrament of Baptism, when a person enters the Church and is baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and in the sacrament of Confession, which, by the way, is called the second baptism. However, it is good that unchurched people honor the church holiday at least in this way. Perhaps this serves as some kind of preliminary step on the path to serious church life, and for now they are limited to such a tangible external form of communion with the feast of the Epiphany through immersion in an ice hole.
If a person is immersed in an ice hole on the day of Baptism, then let this be a symbol of renewal for him, so that after this he tries to lead life as Christ commanded, so that the accepted immersion becomes a new incentive to follow the Savior on all paths of his life. And just as you are not afraid to plunge into an ice hole, do not be afraid to change your life from sin to virtue, do not be afraid to come to the temple, confess your secret sins, abstain from what defiles our soul - and then you will receive from the Lord Jesus Christ true renewal and joy of life.
The tradition of plunging into an ice hole on the occasion of Epiphany has been known since ancient times. It is believed that washing with Epiphany water helps cleanse oneself from sins and improve health, and also strengthens the body and soul.
Epiphany is one of the most important Christian holidays. It is enduring and is celebrated annually on January 19th. According to legend, it was on this day that the Savior appeared to John with a request to baptize him. During the sacrament, the Holy Spirit descended on Christ in the form of a dove, and the voice of God was heard from heaven, proclaiming the divine origin of the Savior. It was after Baptism that Jesus began to preach among people, bringing them the light of Christian teaching.
How to swim properly at Epiphany
Swimming in an ice hole symbolically reproduces the washing of Christ in the waters of the Jordan River. That is why believers annually plunge into the consecrated wormwood. It is believed that water on this day acquires special properties, helps to recover from spiritual and physical ailments, improve well-being and find inner harmony.
The Church considers swimming in an ice hole optional and dependent solely on a person’s desire, insisting that the main thing for believers is understanding the essence of the holiday and attending services. Therefore, the decision to plunge into wormwood should be thoughtful and balanced: you should not do it “for company” or in order to support a tradition, because in this case the ritual will not make any sense.
There are no established rules for washing in an ice hole, but traditionally Christians immerse themselves in the ice hole three times, making the sign of the cross and saying: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
The clergy warn that under no circumstances should you risk your health: for people with weakened immune systems or chronic diseases, it is better to choose a more gentle method. It is enough to simply rinse your face with Epiphany water - the essence of the ritual will not change.
When to swim in an ice hole in 2017
Church services dedicated to the feast of Epiphany begin the day before - January 18. At the same time, “Jordans” are cut down in reservoirs - cross-shaped holes, named by analogy with the Jordan River, in which the Savior was baptized. After the evening service, the priests perform the rite of blessing of water. From this moment on, you can plunge into the ice hole, but most bathing takes place not in the evening, but on the night of January 18-19, as well as throughout the day on January 19.
The clergy say that before bathing you should attend a church service - otherwise swimming in an ice hole will be nothing more than hardening the body. It is very important to do godly deeds, to show attention and love to your neighbors - after all, this is precisely the goal of every true Christian. We wish you happiness and prosperity, and do not forget to click on the buttons and
15.01.2017 05:10
The traditions of this holiday go back far to the time of Jesus Christ. Everything people do...
Every year the Orthodox Christian world celebrates one of the most important holidays - the Epiphany. In that...
At the time when John the Baptist preached on the banks of the Jordan and baptized people, Jesus Christ turned thirty years old. He also came from Nazareth to the Jordan River to John to receive baptism from him. John considered himself unworthy to baptize Jesus Christ and began to restrain Him, saying: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered him: “Leave me now,” that is, do not hold me back now, “because this is how we need to fulfill all righteousness”—to fulfill everything in the Law of God and set an example for people. Then John obeyed and baptized Jesus Christ. After the baptism was performed, when Jesus Christ came out of the water, the heavens suddenly opened up (opened) above Him; and John saw the Spirit of God, who in the form of a dove descended on Jesus, and from heaven the voice of God the Father was heard: " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.".
On the morning of January 19, water is blessed. It is believed that on Epiphany, from midnight to midnight, water acquires healing properties and retains them throughout the year. It is given to seriously ill people to drink, and temples, houses and animals are blessed with it. It remains a mystery to science that Epiphany water does not spoil, has no odor and can be stored for a year or longer.
In the old days, on the eve of Jordan, a large cross (“Jordan”) was cut out on the ice and installed vertically next to the hole. The ice cross was decorated with periwinkle and pine branches or doused with beet kvass, which made it red, as a symbol of fire.
Has survived to this day tradition of plunging into an ice hole at Epiphany- the one who dared to do this believed that the healing Epiphany water would give him health for the whole year. And today there are brave souls who, even in severe frost, jump into icy water.
I myself plunged into the ice hole last year and still remember these vivid impressions that cannot be expressed in words. I advise everyone to try it; not a single person I know has ever gotten sick after such a bath at Epiphany.
Anyone wishing to join should remember that you need to plunge into the Epiphany ice hole, not trying to “accomplish a feat,” but remembering the religious meaning of this action- It’s best to take a blessing from the priest before doing this. You also need to know that washing in Epiphany water does not “automatically” cleanse you of all sins.
The wonderful properties of Epiphany holy water - how to use and preserve?
On Epiphany you can drink Epiphany water all day long. But then it should be consumed on an empty stomach or for special needs (for example, in case of a sudden illness). In addition, on the day of the holiday, we sprinkle holy water throughout the entire home, including latrines and those rooms where our pets live. You can sprinkle your office, your place of study, and your car.
And if you see that there is not as much water as you would like, you can dilute it with simple clean water, and it will all be as full of grace as before, and will not spoil. Therefore, there is no need to strain yourself by taking a canister of a dozen or two liters from the temple on this day. It is enough to take a small bottle and there will be enough water for you and your loved ones until the next Epiphany.
However, the miraculous preservation of Epiphany water is not guaranteed to a person who does not treat it reverently. It is better to pour the water from a plastic container into a glass one, and store it not just anywhere, but next to icons or in another place of honor. We should also drink this water with prayer, so that this gift of the Lord will be for the health of our souls and bodies.
It is well known that Epiphany water can stand for years without spoiling.
Popular beliefs on this day.
A person baptized on this day will be accompanied by happiness all his life.
It was considered a good omen if they agreed on a future wedding on this day. "Epiphany handshake - to a happy family."
Any agreement ending with a handshake promised further support from above.
If shovel snow fell on this day, it foreshadowed a good harvest.
Photos from open sources
On January 19, Orthodox Christians and Greek Catholics celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, or, as it is also called, Jordan.
According to legend, it was on this day, when Jesus Christ reached the age of 30, that he was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. After this, the voice of God the Father was heard from heaven, who called Jesus his son, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove.
This is the third and final big holiday of the Christmas-New Year cycle. Its tradition is not only the blessing of water in the church, but also the washing of the body in reservoirs. Believers believe that water on this day acquires healing properties and by plunging into it three times like Christ, a person will protect himself from illness for the entire next year.
Where and when do they bathe at Epiphany?
In many settlements of Ukraine, on the eve of the holiday, local authorities set up special places for swimming and inform the public about them through the media. In particular, an ice-hole is made on reservoirs - “Jordan” - usually in the shape of a cross, safe approaches to it are arranged, police officers, rescuers and medical services are on duty.
Ukrainian photo
The actual bathing takes place on Epiphany Christmas Eve (the night of January 18-19) or on the day of the holiday. After the church service, solemn processions take place to the ice holes in the reservoirs, they are blessed and, in fact, you can already plunge into the water.
What should you remember when swimming?
There are no hard and fast rules about how to swim (plunge) in an ice hole at Epiphany. However, there are things to remember if you decide to do so.
1. Bathing involves immersion in water three times. At the same time, the believer is baptized and says: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!”
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2. It has long been believed that water is a living matter, so you need to enter it with good thoughts in order to benefit from the ritual.
3. You should plunge (swim) in specially equipped ice holes near the shore, preferably near rescue stations, under the supervision of lifeguards.
4. Before swimming, eat well, at least an hour before diving (drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited), and closer to the procedure, warm up your body by warming up or jogging.
5. It is necessary to approach the ice hole in comfortable, non-slip and easily removable shoes to prevent loss of sensation in the feet. It is better to use boots or woolen socks to reach the ice hole. It is possible to use special rubber slippers, which also protect your feet from sharp stones and salt, and also prevent you from slipping on ice.
6. When going to the ice hole, remember that the path may be slippery. Walk slowly and carefully.
7. It is best to plunge up to your neck, without getting your head wet, in order to avoid reflex narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain; never dive into the hole head first. Jumping into water and immersing yourself in water is not recommended as it increases temperature loss and can lead to cold shock.
8. When entering the water for the first time, try to quickly reach the desired depth, but do not swim.
9. Do not stay in the ice hole for more than 30 seconds to avoid general hypothermia of the body. Those who are diving for the first time need to stay in the water for at least 10 seconds.
10. If you have a child with you, keep an eye on him as he dives into the ice hole. A frightened child can easily forget that he can swim.
11. When exiting the ice hole, do not hold the handrails directly; use a dry towel.
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12. After bathing, dry yourself and your baby with a terry towel and put on dry clothes. However, remember that vigorous rubbing in the cold can damage the fragile capillaries of the skin.
13. To strengthen the immune system and because of the possibility of hypothermia, it is necessary to drink hot tea, preferably from berries, fruits and vegetables from a previously prepared thermos.
Who is contraindicated for swimming?
Winter swimming is contraindicated for people with the following acute and chronic (in the acute stage) diseases:
Inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, paranasal cavities, otitis; - cardiovascular system (congenital and acquired heart valve defects, coronary heart disease with angina attacks; previous myocardial infarction, coronary-cardiosclerosis, hypertension stages II and III); - central nervous system (epilepsy, consequences of severe skull injuries; cerebral vascular sclerosis in an advanced stage, syringomyelia; encephalitis, arachnoiditis); - peripheral nervous system (neuritis, polyneuritis); - endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis); - organs of vision (glaucoma, conjunctivitis); - respiratory organs (pulmonary tuberculosis - active and in the stage of complications, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, eczema). - genitourinary system (nephritis, cystitis, inflammation of the appendages, inflammation of the prostate gland); - gastrointestinal tract (peptic ulcer, enterocolitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis); - skin and venereal diseases.
In addition, children under 6 years old are not allowed to plunge into the ice hole. The release of hormones from cold water immersion can seriously weaken their immunity.