Russia is an Orthodox country. During the difficult period in the life of the church, from the revolution to perestroika, tens of thousands of churches were destroyed, and an entire generation grew up knowing nothing about Orthodoxy. But, like a phoenix from the ashes, Orthodoxy is being revived in the lives of Russians. Temples and monasteries are being restored, Sunday schools and Orthodox television channels are operating.
The return of the church to people's lives means a return to Orthodox holidays. There are many such holidays, but among them there are 12 most significant, the so-called twelve. In large church iconostases there is a so-called “festive rite”. The icons of this series depict these most important holidays of the Orthodox faith. One of them is Baptism.
John the Baptist, at the request of Jesus Christ, performed his baptism in the waters of the Jordan River. At that moment, the Holy Spirit descended on Christ. The Feast of Epiphany is celebrated in memory of this event.
To be baptized in the waters of the Jordan is still considered a very important event for a newly converted Christian. Believers from all over the world strive to visit this place, take a dip or draw water from the Jordan.
How is Epiphany celebrated?
In the Russian Orthodox Church, Epiphany is always celebrated on January 19, this is a non-transferable holiday, i.e. not connected, like Easter with the lunar calendar.
At Epiphany in Russia, water was blessed. A polynya was cut in the ice, often in the form of a cross, over which a temporary chapel "Jordan" was installed. In the 17th and 18th centuries, this chapel was called the “Jordan Canopy”. There was a religious procession from the temple to the ice hole to consecrate the water. The procession was very colorful. At the head of the procession, the priest sprinkled the road. Behind him were people with banners and icons. They were followed by women with small icons from the monasteries and the cathedral. At the end of the procession, in accordance with the ranks, the priests of the city and its inhabitants followed.
From the cathedral to the Jordan they carried an altar cross for the blessing of water, which was immersed in the water of the hole.
Modern church leaders argue that mass swimming in the polynya is a relatively new tradition. Until 1917, only a procession of the cross took place on Epiphany, and the water was blessed. But only after perestroika, bathing in the hole at Epiphany became widespread.
Blessed baptismal water is considered holy and has healing powers. This water lasts and does not spoil for more than a year. This water is used to treat all illnesses, to wash oneself, and to sprinkle the sick person’s bed. Only women should not use such water on menstrual days.
Translated from Greek, “to baptize” means “to immerse in water.” Swimming in an ice hole at Epiphany means washing away sins and entering the new year sinless.
Why do they bathe at Epiphany? To some extent it has become a fashion. Not all people entering the ice hole are believers. But the church supports this innovation. Every year extreme entertainment becomes closer to the church holiday.
Bathing in ice water, which is also blessed, is an excellent way to harden yourself. The clergy claim that in all the years of mass bathing, no cases of the disease have been recorded.
Every year more and more people want to plunge into the baptismal font. Most of them believe that swimming in an ice hole at Epiphany will cleanse them of their sins.
How to prepare for swimming at Epiphany?
The Feast of Epiphany is preceded by a rather strict one-day fast. On January 18, you are allowed to eat sochen - flatbreads with hemp oil and kutya. The house should be cleaned and garbage should be thrown away.
Swimming in an ice hole at Epiphany is not recommended for people with certain illnesses. Such diseases include bronchial asthma, pulmonary diseases, hypertension, hypotension, thyroid diseases, epilepsy, and heart diseases.
Prayers said at Epiphany will certainly come true. On this day, according to church canons, the heavens open, and they will be heard.
How to bathe properly on Epiphany?
The rules for Epiphany bathing are quite simple. They do not require special preparation for swimming in an ice hole for Epiphany.
How to bathe properly on Epiphany? Before swimming, you need to warm up a little. You need to undress for swimming in a certain sequence: first take off your outerwear, then undress to your swimsuit, and shoes should be removed only before entering the water. On ice and snow, your feet freeze very quickly. You need to enter the ice water quickly and stay in it for 20-30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your state of health and your habit of cold water. According to the canons, you must plunge your head into the water three times and, emerging, be baptized.
Swimming in an ice hole is not a church requirement, but simply a tradition that is welcomed by the church. But since it is a church holiday, the swimsuit and swimming trunks do not look very harmonious against the background of the cross in front of the font. In monasteries, long shirts similar to baptismal shirts are sewn for bathing. They are the same for men and women.
After leaving the water, you need to quickly dry yourself, put on dry, warm clothes and drink hot tea. It is strictly forbidden to combine swimming in an ice hole with drinking alcoholic beverages, and only after swimming can you drink a small glass to warm up.
In principle, there are no significant differences between bathing at Epiphany for women and men. You just need to take into account that the female body is more fragile, the skin is more delicate.
To protect the skin, before swimming in the ice hole on Epiphany, women are advised to smear themselves with rich cream, vegetable oil, preferably olive oil. This will make it easier to get used to cold water and protect your skin. Pregnant women and women on menstruation should not swim.
To the list of previously listed diseases for women, you can add acute infectious and chronic diseases of the female organs.
Bathing a girl in an ice hole at Epiphany is practically no different from bathing women. Girls should be more careful about their bodies. After all, many of them swim “for company” with friends and husbands, solely out of the desire to take a spectacular photo in a beautiful swimsuit. Baptism bathing for a girl with a weak immune system who is prone to frequent colds is undesirable. It can lead not only to a cold, but also to chronic inflammation of the female organs. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare for such an event in advance, gradually hardening yourself by pouring cool and then cold water, swimming in autumn in already cooling water bodies, gradually leading the body to Epiphany bathing.
How to choose a place for swimming?
Every year the number of people taking part in the procession and Epiphany bathing increases. Therefore, the number of places for swimming is increasing. This is especially noticeable in large and rapidly developing cities. Usually the media prints in advance a list of places where you can swim on Epiphany.
Swimming at Epiphany should be in places specially designated for this. As a rule, these are rivers and reservoirs that are located near temples and monasteries, so that the procession to the Jordan is not too long. Since the holiday of Epiphany has been celebrated in our country for many centuries, these places are well known.
When Epiphany bathing became widespread, it was time to take care of arranging bathing places. After cutting a hole in the ice, a cross made of people or wood is installed next to it. The hole around the perimeter is laid with boards or wooden flooring, and a ladder is installed on one side to make it convenient to enter and exit the water. If the hole is large, then there may be several such stairs. Epiphany frosts have become a rarity in recent years, but the water temperature is still close to zero. Therefore, next to the font, they increasingly began to install a heated tent, where you can change clothes, warm up, and also drink hot tea.
In places of mass bathing, an ambulance with doctors who can provide assistance if necessary should be on duty.
This is how it should be ideally. But given the size of our country, not all swimming places are equipped this way. The presence of doctors is generally exotic in the provinces. Therefore, when choosing a place to swim on Epiphany, try to find a traditional place where many people come. They can always help. Provide insurance and provide assistance if necessary.
Epiphany bathing in different regions of Russia
Epiphany bathing takes place throughout Russia from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, from Sochi to Arkhangelsk. Every year the number of people who take part in them increases, and, accordingly, the number of equipped places. In St. Petersburg, several swimming pools will be installed on the Neva. The main one is at the Peter and Paul Fortress, the rest are on Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment, Universitetskaya Embankment, as well as on the street, on Obukhovskaya Defense Avenue. Fonts are being installed in Kolpino, Krasnoye Selo, Sestroretsk, Peterhof and Pushkino.
The most widespread Epiphany bathing takes place in the Volga cities - Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Uglich, Nizhny Novgorod, Tutaev and others. Here, the traditions of Orthodoxy were not lost during the most difficult times for the church. Churches and monasteries, as a rule, were built on the high banks of the Volga. Today, many Orthodox churches and monasteries have been restored. Of these, on the night of January 18-19, a religious procession takes place to the fonts on the Volga. After the consecration of the ice hole, Epiphany bathing begins, which continues all night from January 18 to 19 until the evening of January 19.
Moscow and the Moscow region do not lag behind the Volga cities, Epiphany bathing here is organized with the utmost responsibility, tents are set up at the ice hole for changing clothes, and the process is monitored by employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and ambulance doctors. We have prepared a review.
The return of Orthodox traditions to the lives of Russians is not just fashion. This is a return to the roots of spirituality.
Safety rules for Epiphany bathing
We hope our review was useful to you, and now you know why people bathe at Epiphany and how to prepare for swimming at Epiphany. If you have experience of swimming in an ice hole, share it in the comments to the article.
2The great and bright holiday of the Epiphany of the Lord is always filled with special grace and joy. All Orthodox Christians celebrate it from the evening of January 18 (Christmas Eve) and all day on January 19. This holiday is associated with one very important Biblical event that occurred when John the Baptist It was about two thousand years ago.
The Mystery of the Holy Trinity
The biblical event describes that when Jesus Christ emerged from the water, at that same moment the Heavens opened and a voice was heard: “You are my beloved son, in whom is my blessing.” It was at this moment that the Great Mystery of the Holy Trinity was revealed to people. After Baptism, Christ commanded his apostles to go and teach this to all nations. Now everyone who is baptized joins this sacrament.
Prayer before swimming. When to collect water?
God sanctified all the water with His Baptism, and now on these days all Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate the Blessing of Water holiday. At this time, water is blessed in all Orthodox churches, and then in rivers and other bodies of water. Then whole processions are carried out, which are called the Procession to the Jordan. All this is done to sanctify the natural source of water.
Cleansing from sins
It is believed that at Baptism, a body washed with water is thus cleansed, just as a repentant soul who has believed in the Lord will be saved by Him. Therefore, prayer before has enormous power.
Swimming in an ice hole in winter became part of the Christian tradition and the culture of Slavic peoples. And today, on this holiday, people like to plunge into water and thus purify themselves. A special prayer before bathing at Epiphany helps people to free themselves from serious sins. Therefore, healing comes from physical and spiritual illnesses. But this is influenced not so much by the water itself, but by the state of the soul of a person who strives to be closer to God.
Prayer is the most powerful weapon in the fight against evil spirits. Prayer before bathing on Epiphany on January 19 is necessary, as is the fact that on Epiphany Eve one must observe strict fasting and eat only bread and water, which help cleanse the soul and body.
From our pagan ancestors we inherited the tradition of telling fortunes, although, as you know, this is not a godly activity at all. But young girls always burned with curiosity and wondered about their suitors, but in the morning they had to pray earnestly that these sins would be forgiven.
There are several interesting traditions. For example, on the morning of January 19, you need to go out into the yard early in the morning, wipe yourself with clean snow and thus cleanse yourself. It is believed that if the sky is without clouds on this day, then every prayer before bathing at Epiphany will be answered. But again, all prayers must always be said with great attention and reverence, and not rattled off like a well-memorized text.
Bathing for Epiphany
The Feast of Epiphany is also called Epiphany. On that day, the Lord Himself revealed to the world the Inaccessible Light. The very word "I baptize" in Greek means "I immerse in water." In order to correctly answer the question of what prayer is read before swimming on Epiphany on January 19, you first need to delve into the very essence of the holiday. First of all, it is necessary to understand the symbolic meaning that water has in the Old Testament. After all, it marks the beginning of life, all living beings came out of it. Where there is no water, there is no life, and besides, water, when there is a lot of it, can cause destruction. You can remember the times of the Great Flood - so one day God became angry and destroyed all sinners.
Baptism of Rus'
The tradition of the Blessing of Water appeared in our country in 988, when Rus' was baptized. The Great Rite of Blessing of Water can only be performed by a priest. First, a special prayer is read before bathing on Epiphany on January 19, and at the same time the Cross is immersed three times in the water. This takes place immediately after the festive liturgy. According to custom, an ice hole is prepared in advance, which usually looks like a cross and has the symbolic name Jordan.
Very often, questions may immediately arise about what kind of prayer is read for Epiphany before bathing, when to draw water for Epiphany, when it is more healing, and many others.
First, you still need to understand that at Epiphany, water becomes a real shrine that heals and gives strength. Therefore, such a long procession of the blessing of water in the church. All Orthodox Christians who came to the holiday on this day take water or wash themselves, and the most courageous ones want to swim in the ice hole. You can already dial both on Christmas Eve, January 18, and on Epiphany Day, January 19 - in terms of properties and holiness, it will be the same.
The pagan tradition of bathing
Let's return to the history of our ancestors (ancient Scythians). They dipped their babies into the ice hole and thereby hardened them. In addition, according to pagan traditions, the rite of initiation into warriors was completed by swimming in an ice hole. This is how it was customary in Rus' to heat bathhouses, rub yourself with snow and jump into a cold ice hole. To this day, some pagan rituals have been preserved. Now we bathe in the icy Epiphany water and celebrate Maslenitsa, which marks the beginning of Lent.
Is it necessary to swim at Epiphany?
Carefully understanding the questions about what kind of prayer is needed for the Epiphany of the Lord before bathing, when to collect water and on what day it is best to do this (January 18 or 19), it should be noted that according to church rules, the Great Blessing of water takes place on Epiphany Eve on January 18 . Believers go first to the service, and then collect Epiphany water. You can swim and collect water from the evening of January 18th.
It is not necessary to plunge into the ice hole, only at your own request. In this case, the main thing is that the ice hole is specially equipped, there is a warm place for changing clothes, hot tea is prepared, etc. At the same time, it is a mistake to think that if a person bathes on this day, then all sins will be forgiven.
Returning to the topic “Prayer for Epiphany before bathing,” in order to correctly approach this process of receiving Epiphany water, you must first fast, then confess and take communion. You should also ask for a blessing from the priest. Before swimming in an ice hole, a person must understand that this is, first of all, a risk to his health, which means that it is necessary to have all medical indicators normal, that is, at least consult a doctor. She is simply necessary here.
Prayers for Epiphany
And now we can answer the question: “What is the prayer for Epiphany before bathing, and to whom does an Orthodox person pray?”
The following prayers are read at Epiphany:
- Troparion of the Baptism of the Lord.
- Voice 1 begins with the words “I am baptized in You in the Jordan...”.
- Kontakion of the Baptism of the Lord.
- Voice 4: “Thou hast appeared this day to the universe...”
The Magnification of the Baptism of the Lord is also read: “We magnify you, Life-Giving Christ...”.
Before plunging into the hole, you need to say such a prayer three times. The first time plunging - “In the name of the Father”, the second time - “And the Son”, the last - “And the Holy Spirit!” Amen".
It must be understood, however, that the prayer for the Baptism of the Lord before bathing is strong. Which one is better to read, of course, you definitely need to know, but the most important thing is with what soul and with what heart these words are pronounced. After all, our external observance of church rules does not always play an important role; the main thing remains the spiritual and moral education of every Christian. This is where you should always start. And this means that you need to humble yourself and repent, forgive all your enemies, ask for forgiveness from those you have offended, help those in need, repent of your sins and try to do more good deeds. And then the world around will become much kinder and more merciful.
Swimming in an ice hole in Rus' is an ancient occupation. But recently, not only the ritual in the baptismal font, but also the movement of walruses in general began to expand and multiply in its composition. And thereby forced experts to think about the benefits and possible harm of pagan action.
There were few arguments in favor of swimming in ice water. Honestly, just one. The body really gets a hardening effect. Nobody argues with this. But, having calculated how much harm such hardening causes to the organs and systems of the body, the doctors quite rightly decided that we don’t need such goodness for nothing. And that's why.
Everyone has long known that even in summer you need to swim carefully. Most often, sudden cardiac arrest occurs while swimming due to temperature changes.
If you immediately plunge into water, there may be a spasm of blood vessels throughout the body, muscles, skin, and subcutaneous tissue. Because of this, blood circulation increases, and the heart simply may not be able to cope with this flow. And then a disaster occurs in the form of an angina attack, a heart attack, and some may even have cardiac arrest. In such cases, it can be very difficult to start the heart again. Any ambulance paramedic will confirm this to you. But if during summer swimming we are talking about a difference in temperature of just a couple of degrees, plus plus, then what can we say about swimming in ice water, and even in the cold?
Moreover, if you consider that the cold does not encourage you to wait for a long time, but drives you to quickly take a dip and instantly get out of the water. The load on the body is enormous. And the stress is the strongest.
Cardiovascular accident is not the only danger that awaits divers in icy water.
Big problems arise for winter divers with ARVI and other diseases. In general, in recent decades, domestic researchers have been monitoring the health of “walruses” quite closely in order to understand how exposure to cold affects the body.
After swimming in an ice bath, you can become infertile. And this is not a horror story, but a scientifically proven fact. Moreover, this problem can occur in both sexes.
Due to the stress that the body experiences in ice water, men's sperm count decreases. This has already been proven. The American doctor Moskowitz reported this at one time, and Russian scientists also confirmed this. Moreover, domestic andrologists believe that in general it should be placed in first place among the causes of infertility.
It is a scientific fact that the sauna is harmful to the reproductive organs. Moreover, interestingly, I literally took a steam bath once in a steam room, dangled in an ice hole, and the deterioration in the formation of seminal fluid continued for another 2 months after the dubious pleasure. Then comes the peak of deterioration in spermatogenesis, after which the recovery process begins. And normal sperm formation will be restored only 3 months after the peak. That is, at least in 5 months!
The next argument against swimming in ice water also applies to men, and it was already expressed by urologists. The prostate is a very delicate organ, fragile, and therefore brittle. And it can break from any sneeze. The prostate is especially afraid of hypothermia. An inflammatory disease that can be caused by hypothermia is a prelude to impotence. Now, in my opinion, even schoolchildren know about this. Chronic prostatitis in an ice hole can easily be obtained.
“Walrus women” also have the same troubles with the reproductive organs: inflammatory diseases of the ovaries or appendages, obstruction of the tubes. And in the future - long-term treatment with an unpredictable outcome. True, women are a little luckier in this sense than men. Their bodies are stronger and they recover more successfully.
However, if you decide to swim in the Epiphany ice hole, keep in mind 10 safety rules:
Rule one: test your body for medical contraindications.
Inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, paranasal cavities, otitis;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- epilepsy, previous skull injuries; cerebral vascular sclerosis;
- neuritis, polyneuritis;
- diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis;
- glaucoma, conjunctivitis;
- pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, emphysema;
- nephritis, cystitis, inflammation of the appendages, inflammation of the prostate gland;
- gastric ulcer, enterocolitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis;
- venereal diseases.
Rule two: for swimming in the hole at Epiphany, you need to choose the right place.
The ideal ice hole for swimming in an ice hole for Epiphany is:
Verified place. Preferably an organized one, not a rural pond at midnight.
The depth of the font should not exceed 1.8 m.
The font must be fenced to prevent accidental falls into the water.
Rule three: don’t forget about your uniform!
You will need: a swimsuit or swimming trunks, a towel and a terry robe, a set of dry clothes.
Take some shoes with you so that you don’t have to walk on the ice barefoot - not everyone can do this. But keep in mind that slippers should not have rubber soles - they slip.
You can take thick woolen socks, walk to the ice hole in them, and swim in them.
After swimming you need to change into dry underwear.
Rule four: Before swimming, warm up slightly, but not to the point of breaking a sweat. After undressing, swing your arms, do a few squats and bends. The body should be hot, but not sweaty.
Rule five: Orthodox tradition involves plunging your head into an ice hole three times. But keep in mind that swimming in an ice hole on Epiphany is not a canon, but a tradition. That is, it will not be a sin if you take care of your head, knowing that with wet hair in the cold - not a great gift! Especially if you go to the other end of the city by public transport.
Rule six: Beware of euphoria! Many people, having plunged into the water, experience a surge of uncontrollable joy, which provokes them to linger in the water for about five minutes. Keep in mind that this attack of joy is not the grace of God, but the result of the most complex chemical reactions that occur in the body under the influence of cold. By staying in the water under the influence of endorphins, you risk your health.
Rule seven: warm up after swimming! Rub yourself with a towel, quickly get dressed. And drink something hot: tea prepared in advance, for example.
Rule eight: no alcohol before swimming! And the most you can afford afterwards is a little church cohors. It is widely believed that alcohol warms the body. But this is only in the first half hour after taking it! Then the opposite effect occurs, fraught with serious colds.
Rule nine: trust your body! And, if looking at cold water fills you with horror, think again – is it worth it?
Rule ten: do not go into the water without prayer. Let it be short (“Our Father,” for example), even in your own words, but turn to God on this day with words coming from your very heart.
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, press secretary of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese
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.
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
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.
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:
– 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?
Archpriest Vladimir Vigilyansky, rector of the Church of the Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University:
Faith is not tested by swimming
- at Epiphany - 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.
Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky, rector of the Assumption Church in Krasnogorsk, dean of churches in the Krasnogorsk district:
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 of bathing in rivers on this day (especially those who dressed up, told fortunes, etc., bathed during Christmas time, 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 purifying 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 one’s 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 or 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 my life story, 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.
Archpriest Theodore Borodin, rector of the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian on Maroseyka:
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.
Archpriest Alexy Uminsky, rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly, confessor of the St. Vladimir Orthodox Gymnasium:
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.
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