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Epiphany bathing. Epiphany, baptism and dipping swimming in an ice hole How to bathe in an ice hole for baptism

When to swim for Epiphany - January 18 or 19- this question is asked very often on the days of Epiphany and Theophany of the Lord.

The most important thing you need to know about the Baptism of the Lord is not when to bathe (it is absolutely not necessary to plunge into the hole on this day), but the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ himself was baptized on this day. Therefore, on January 18 in the evening and January 19 in the morning, it is important to be in the church at 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 open, as a rule, on January 19 throughout the day.

Common questions about bathing at Epiphany

Do I need to swim in the hole for Epiphany?

Is it necessary to bathe at Epiphany? And if there is no frost, will the bathing be Epiphany?

In any church holiday, it is necessary to distinguish between its meaning and the traditions that have developed around it. In the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the main thing is the Epiphany, this is 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 the presence at the church service, confession and Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, communion of baptismal water.

The established traditions of bathing 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 from sins, which, unfortunately, is much talked about in the media.

Such traditions should not be treated as magical rites - the feast of the Epiphany is celebrated by the Orthodox 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 vines on the Transfiguration of the Lord was a blessing for the harvest of apples. Also on the day of the Baptism of the Lord, all waters will be consecrated, regardless of their temperature.

Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev

Probably, we should start not with bathing in Epiphany frosts, but with the most fertile feast of the Epiphany. The baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ sanctifies all water, in all its forms, because for two thousand years the water of the Jordan River, which touched the blessed body of Christ, rose millions of times to heaven, floated in the clouds and returned again as raindrops to the earth. What is it - in trees, in lakes, rivers, grasses? Pieces of her are everywhere. And now the feast of the Epiphany is approaching, when the Lord gives us an abundance of blessed water. Anxiety awakens in every person: what about me? After all, this is my chance to be cleansed! Wouldn't miss it! And now people without hesitation, even with some kind of despair, rush to the hole and, having plunged, then for a whole year they talk about their “feat”. Did they partake of the grace of our Lord, or amuse their pride?

An Orthodox person goes quietly from one church holiday to another, observing fasts, confessing and taking communion. And he is preparing for the Epiphany slowly, deciding with his family who, after confession and communion, according to the old Russian tradition, will be worthy to plunge into the Jordan, and who, due to childhood or indisposition, will wash his face with holy water, or pour himself on a holy spring, or simply accept holy water with prayer like spiritual medicine. We, thank God, have plenty to choose from, and we do not need to risk thoughtlessly if a person is weakened by an illness. The Jordan is not the Sheep's Pool (see John 5:1-4) and must be approached with caution. An experienced priest will not bless everyone for swimming. He will take care of choosing a place, strengthening the ice, gangways, a warm place for undressing and dressing, and the presence of one of the Orthodox medical workers. Here, mass baptism will be appropriate and grace-filled.

Another thing is the mass of desperate people who decided, without a blessing and just an elementary thought, to swim "for the company" in ice water. Here we are talking not about the strength of the spirit, but about the strength of the body. The strongest spasm of the 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 the "cleansing" in the hole with smoking and alcohol. The flow of blood to the lungs will only increase the chronic inflammation of the bronchi, which always accompanies smoking, can cause swelling of the bronchial wall and pneumonia. Prolonged intake of alcohol or acute intoxication and in warm water constantly lead to misfortunes, to say nothing of swimming in the 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 one can expect paradoxical reactions up to cardiac and respiratory arrest. With such bad habits and in such a state, it is better not to approach the hole.

Archpriest Sergiy Vogulkin, rector of the church in the name of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" of the city of Yekaterinburg, doctor of medical sciences, professor:

- Explain all the same, why should an Orthodox person bathe in icy water at Epiphany when it is over thirty degrees outside?

Priest Svyatoslav Shevchenko:– It is necessary to distinguish between folk customs and church liturgical practice. The Church does not call on believers to climb into icy water - everyone decides for himself 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, a religious outburst occurs among the Russian people - and there is nothing wrong with that. But it is not very good that people limit themselves to this superficial ablution. Moreover, some seriously believe that, having bathed in the Epiphany Jordan, they will wash away all the sins that have accumulated over the year. These are pagan superstitions and have nothing to do with church teaching. Sins are forgiven by the priest in the sacrament of Repentance. In addition, in the search for thrills, we miss the main essence of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Where did the tradition of diving into the hole for Epiphany come from? Is it necessary for every Orthodox 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 bathing

- at Epiphany - a relatively new tradition. Neither in the historical literature about Ancient Rus', nor in the memoirs of pre-revolutionary Russia, I have not read that somewhere on Epiphany they cut through the ice and bathed. But there is nothing wrong with this tradition itself, you just need to understand that the Church does not force anyone to bathe in cold water.

The consecration of water is a reminder that the Lord is everywhere and everywhere, sanctifies the whole 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 the Epiphany, Epiphany bathing turns into a sport, a love of extreme sports. It is important to feel the presence of the Trinity, which permeates the entire natural being, 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 bless the water and wash themselves with it. Who bathes not the first year, let him continue to bathe. 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 the Churches of the Krasnogorsk District:

Spiritual meaning - in the blessing of water, not in bathing

- Today the Church does not forbid swimming in reservoirs, but before the revolution it was negative. Father Sergius Bulgakov in the "Handbook of a Clergyman" writes the following:

“... In some places there is a custom on this day to swim in the rivers (especially those who dressed up at Christmas time, guessed, etc., superstitiously attributing cleansing power from these sins to this bathing). Such a custom cannot be justified by a desire to imitate the example of the Savior's immersion in the water, as well as the example of the Palestinian worshipers who bathe in the Jordan River at all times. In the east, it is safe for pilgrims, because there is no such cold and frosts as we have.

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 one's life and health.

(S. V. Bulgakov, “Handbook for the Holy 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 tie bathing to pagan beliefs, there is nothing wrong with it. Whoever allows health can plunge, but you don’t need to look for some kind of spiritual meaning in this. Epiphany water has spiritual significance, but you can drink a drop of it and sprinkle yourself, and it is absurd to think that the one who bathed will definitely receive more grace than the one who drank a sip. This does not depend on receiving grace.

Not far from one of the temples of our deanery, in Opalikha, there is a clean pond, I know that the clergy of the temple bless the water there. Why not? The Typicon allows it. 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 Order 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 is not allowed to serve two liturgies a day. And so the priest serves and blesses the water in one church, and goes to two others, sometimes tens of kilometers away, to bless the water especially for the locals. Then, of course, we will allow the Great rank. Or in the Nursing Home, if it is impossible to perform the liturgy for Baptism there, you can also perform the Great Blessing of Water.

If, for example, a pious rich man wants to bless the water in his pond, there is nothing wrong with that, but in this case, you need to bless it with the Small rank.

Well, when, as in Opalikha, after the prayer behind the ambo, a procession takes place, the water in the pond is blessed, and then everyone returns to the church and finishes the liturgy, the church order is not violated. And whether the priests and parishioners will then plunge into the hole, is a private matter for everyone. You just have to be smart about it.

One of our parishioners is an experienced walrus, she even goes to walrus competitions. Naturally, she bathes with pleasure at Epiphany. But after all, people become walruses, tempering gradually. If a person is not frost-resistant, often catches a cold, it would be unreasonable on his part to climb into the 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 bath 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 bodily health, perhaps mental health - cold water invigorates - but not spiritual. 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 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 baptismal water, but to pray at the service and, if possible, take communion. But all of us, Orthodox Christians, should treat the people who come with love and understanding, with condescension to human weakness. If someone comes only for water, it is wrong to tell him that he is such and such and will not receive grace. It's not for us to judge this.

In the biography 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 come with soup,” Father Alexy answered. And in the end, that person turned to God.

From this, of course, it does not follow that it is necessary to distribute prosphora to all unbelieving relatives, but the above example shows that God's grace often works in a way that is incomprehensible to us. So it is with water. A person came only for water, but perhaps through these external actions, without realizing it, he reaches out to God and in time will come to Him. In the meantime, let us rejoice that he remembers the feast of the Epiphany and generally came to the temple.

Archpriest Theodore Borodin, Rector of the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian on Maroseyka:

Bathing is just the beginning

The tradition of bathing at Epiphany is a late one. And you need to treat it depending on what a person bathes for. Let me draw an analogy with Easter. Everyone knows that on Holy Saturday tens or even hundreds of thousands of people go to the temple to bless Easter cakes.

If they really do not know that this is only a tiny part of the joy that Easter is for a believer, they come to the temple with reverence and sincerely pray, for them it is still a meeting with the Lord.

If, however, they hear from year to year that this is not the most important thing, and the priest, consecrating Easter cakes, each time invites them to come to the night service, to share with everyone the joy of the Risen Lord, explains what the meaning of worship is, and their communion with the Church still comes down to the consecration of Easter cakes, this, of course, is sad.

Likewise with swimming. If a person who is 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 an encounter with God.

I think when a person sincerely seeks God, sooner or later he will understand that bathing is only the beginning, and it is much more important to be at the vigil and the liturgy. If Epiphany bathing serves as a stepping stone to starting to celebrate this holiday in a truly, Christian way, at least in a few years, such bathing can only be welcomed.

Alas, many refer to it simply as one of the extreme sports. Often bathing non-church people are accompanied by obscene jokes and immoderate drinking. Like the wall-to-wall fights that were once popular, such amusements do 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 bathe at night and believe that they have already joined the holiday, sleep well, satisfied with themselves - they have proved that they are strong in body and their faith is strong. They proved to themselves, but this is self-deception.

Of course, it is not necessary to swim at night, you can after the service. Our temple 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 mind if I see that a person is really doing this for the Lord. But one priest I know, a very good one, plunged into an ice hole for several years in a row and every time after that he fell ill. This means that his bathing was not pleasing to the Lord, and the Lord admonished him through illness - now he does not bathe.

I never went swimming either. It is far enough for me to travel to the nearest consecrated reservoirs, if I spend half the night on the road and swimming, I will not be able to confess the parishioners and serve the liturgy as I should. But sometimes mother and children and I poured ourselves with Epiphany water on the street, in the snow. I live outside the city, but after returning from the vigil, the whole family was doused. But it's possible outside the city, in Moscow you won't get sick like that.

Archpriest Alexy Uminsky, rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly, confessor of the St. Vladimir Orthodox Gymnasium:

And what about Baptism?

I am somehow not particularly puzzled by the issue of night Epiphany diving. If a person wants, let him dive; if he doesn't want to, let him not dive. But what does diving in the hole have to do with the feast of the Epiphany?

For me, these dips are just entertainment, extreme. Our people love something so unusual. Recently, it has become fashionable, popular to dive into the hole at Epiphany, then drink vodka, and then tell everyone about your such Russian piety.

Such a Russian tradition, like fisticuffs on Maslenitsa. It has exactly the same relation to the celebration of Epiphany as fistfights have to the celebration of Forgiveness Sunday.

Is it necessary to bathe at Epiphany? And if there is no frost, will the bathing be Epiphany?

Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev, press secretary of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese

Archpriest Sergiy Vogulkin, rector of the church in the name of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" of the city of Yekaterinburg, doctor of medical sciences, professor:

- Explain all the same, why should an Orthodox person bathe in icy water at Epiphany when it is over thirty degrees outside?

Priest Svyatoslav Shevchenko:- It is necessary to distinguish between folk customs and church liturgical practice. The Church does not call on believers to climb into icy water - everyone decides for himself 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, a religious outburst occurs among the Russian people - and there is nothing wrong with that. But it is not very good that people limit themselves to this superficial ablution. Moreover, some seriously believe that, having bathed in the Epiphany Jordan, they will wash away all the sins that have accumulated over the year. These are pagan superstitions and have nothing to do with church teaching. Sins are forgiven by the priest in the sacrament of Repentance. In addition, in the search for thrills, we miss the main essence of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Few have thought about where such an extreme Slavic tradition came from in Rus' - to swim in a severe frost in an ice hole. It has its roots deep in the days of the ancient Scythians, who dipped their babies in icy water, when there was no mention of Christianity yet. But mass bathing in the hole-Jordan, dedicated to the holiday Baptism of the Lord- This is a completely new rite.

A bit from the story of the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist

According to the gospel story of the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, during the rite of washing, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove and at the same time the voice of the Almighty from heaven proclaimed: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Thus, John publicly witnessed the predestination of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, who came to earth to save the world.

And according to the scripture, after his baptism, Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, went into the wilderness, so that alone, praying and fasting, he would prepare himself for the mission for which he was sent to earth. For forty days he did not drink or eat anything. For forty days and nights the devil tempted him with hunger, pride and faith, trying to seduce and seduce him into sin.

Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord

The Baptism of the Lord completes the Christmas holidays and is the twelfth non-transitory holiday. However, Catholics and Orthodox honor this event on different days, which is associated with different calendar chronology. The people also call it the feast of the Jordan, since it was on this river that John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ at the age of 30.

At this time, special attention is paid to water, which on Epiphany day acquires magical miraculous power.

“On this holiday, everyone, having drawn water, brings it home and keeps it all year long, since today the waters are consecrated; and a clear sign occurs: this water in its essence does not deteriorate over time, but, drawn today, it remains intact and fresh for a whole year, and often two or three years.

Since ancient times, according to the Orthodox tradition, everywhere on January 19, polynyas in the form of a cross, called "Jordan", were cut down in the ice of frozen rivers. A religious procession was made to them in large cities and villages from early morning.

The priest walking in front of everyone sprinkled the path of the entire procession, followed by a cross, large portable icons and small monastery icons, after which all the clergy walked according to their rank, and behind them the believing people.

Downstream from the "Jordan", as a rule, there was a linen hole, into which the daredevils plunged after the head priest lowered the altar cross into the water. According to them, the water instantly became holy at that time. The priest sprinkled the rest of the believers simply with water.

clergy" and sinned at Christmas time in order to be cleansed of sinful filth in consecrated water, and some bathed simply "for health", thus showing fortitude. And all this despite the severe frost, as a rule, always accompanying this holiday.

Title="Ice Cross.

Ice Cross.

From the historical chronicles, a fact is known about Ivan the Terrible, who loved to boast to the astonished foreign ambassadors of the valor and prowess of his boyars. He made them take off their coats on frosty days and plunge into the hole, showing pleasure with all his appearance. Moreover, all this was done not within the framework of the traditions of Orthodoxy, but precisely in the traditions of military prowess.

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/0-kreschenie-0021.jpg" alt="Intercession-Tatianinsky Cathedral on Epiphany night. Author: Anatoly Danilov." title="Intercession-Tatianinsky Cathedral on Epiphany night.

In fact, there are a lot of people who do not go to the Temple of God and do not think about the deepest meaning of the holiday - the Epiphany of the Lord. Thinking that once a year, having plunged into the hole three times, we can assume that they lead a Christian way of life.

And since bathing in icy water, which, as is commonly believed, becomes holy on Epiphany night, is a way to cleanse oneself of sins and test Divine power on oneself. However, this is a deep delusion - a person cannot sin for a whole year, and then, having plunged into the hole, be freed from sin. It can only be a symbol of renewal for him.
review.

January 19 is one of the most significant Christian holidays, and many do not think of it without personal participation - that is, immersion in icy Epiphany water in special ice holes. In Russia, it is customary to sanctify water at Epiphany, including on natural reservoirs, for which a cruciform hole is cut in the ice - the Jordan. Previously, first of all, those who participated in Christmas divination and disguise plunged into the hole - to wash away sins. It was also believed that evil spirits, who freely walked the earth all Christmas time, were leaving for Jordan. The water consecrated in Baptism is considered healing. The clergy wear white robes for this holiday.

It is believed that baptismal water brings spiritual and bodily health; about 600,000 people take part in Epiphany bathing in Russia on January 18 and 19 during the day.

In all churches, the "great consecration of water" is performed. According to church canons, on Epiphany Christmas Eve, a believer must come to church, defend the service, light a candle, collect blessed water. But no one requires to plunge into ice water, especially if a person is not ready for this.

There are no hard and fast rules on how to bathe at Epiphany. But, according to custom, bathing is three times immersion in water with the head. At the same time, the believer is baptized and says "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!" Usually, long shirts are sewn for swimming, in which a dive is made, like baptismal ones. They are the same for men and women. It is believed that if the parishioners dress in bathing suits, then the bodies on display are dissonant with traditional Christian decency.

Immersion in ice water is a lot of stress. The adrenal glands react sharply and powerfully to it, throwing into the blood a large dose of potent anti-inflammatory hormones, which are normally released a little bit at a time. They inhibit all inflammatory reactions by simply “suppressing” the immune system, helping to endure cold, and adapt the body to endure stress.

If you properly prepare for a dive, a person with average health will endure a one-time dive without difficulty. But if he is at least a little weakened, in three or four days you will have to pay for your courage.

Before diving into the hole, you should not drink alcohol - alcohol will only help to quickly hypothermia and give an extra load on the heart. You should not swim for more than one and a half minutes, also dive with your head.

Before diving, be sure to consult a doctor. For people with diabetes, arrhythmia, kidney problems, women with gynecological diseases, it is better to forget about the hole. Hypertension patients can have a stroke.

A week before diving, it is better to start preparing the body for frost. The first 3-4 days it is enough to go out on the balcony for a minute in shorts and a T-shirt. In the remaining days - add dousing with cold water. Enough one or two (in the last two days) basins of cold water.

Also, a week before swimming in the ice hole, citrus fruits, herbs, rose hips and other foods rich in vitamin C should be excluded from the diet - it stimulates the immune system, and it is not necessary to stimulate the immune system more than the act of immersion does: it will be too much, the immune system will “fall” greatly . Two hours before diving, you must definitely eat a hearty meal, that is, provide the body with “fuel”. In cold water, the body will quickly spend all its resources on heating, and not a single kilocalorie will be superfluous.

Clothing and footwear should be easy and quick to put on and take off. Dress properly. Ideally, clothes should not have fasteners at all, in extreme cases - a “zipper”. It will be problematic to fasten buttons in the cold, and even more so to tie shoelaces. Also, take a mat. You can stand on it, wiping yourself and changing clothes. The hat must be put on immediately after leaving the water.

Immediately after washing, you need to rub yourself with a terry towel and rush to a warm room. You can not be on the ice with a large crowd of people, and it is strictly forbidden to drive onto the ice by car.

Not all weather is suitable for swimming. The ideal temperature for beginners is 2 to 5 degrees below zero. You can take the risk of diving even in a harder frost, but -10 ° C is a dangerous threshold for a person trying to dive into an ice hole for the first time. You should enter the water warm and gradually. This makes it easier to bear the cold. To warm up before the procedure, you can run for several minutes, squat, do active movements. You need to enter the water slowly, at an average pace: if it is slow, you can freeze, and if it is fast, then you may experience fear, severe stress, pulse and pressure rise sharply, take your breath away. Going up to your knees, you need to rinse your face with water, wash your face. This will also prepare the body for full immersion.

You should swim in specially equipped ice holes near the shore, preferably near rescue stations, under the supervision of lifeguards. The ice hole should be well cleared of ice fragments so as not to slip and not get hurt, and to make it easier to get out. It is desirable that she has a ladder or a shallow area for easy exit from the water. You should never dive alone in case you need help. Refrain from swimming if you have a heart condition. Remember that exposure to ice water of unhardened people can lead to general hypothermia of the body. At its first signs - chills, trembling, cyanosis of the skin, lips, pain in the fingers and toes - a person needs to be helped. No need to sit in the hole until you get goosebumps. Chills are a sign that the body has begun to overcool. As soon as this is felt, immediately you need to get out of the water. On average, it is enough to stay in the water for 10 seconds - you can just dip three times, as it should be according to tradition.

With a mild degree of hypothermia, it is enough to dress the victim warmly, drink hot tea and force them to perform intense physical exercises. With moderate and severe hypothermia - rub with a woolen cloth, massage the whole body. Then dress warmly, put to bed. Warming should be gradual so that there is no sudden change in temperature.

Do not go out onto the ice unnecessarily, do not leave children unattended near a river or pond, make sure that the ice you go on is strong enough.

Orthodox people celebrate Epiphany, or Epiphany, on January 19, and on the eve, on the 18th, they celebrate.

The tradition of blessing water among our ancestors appeared from those ancient times, when in 988 Kiev Prince Vladimir baptized Rus'.

There is a popular tradition among believers to bathe on this day. In Rus', it was believed that bathing in ice water heals the body and soul of a person, cleanses from all the sins committed last year.

Of course, it will not work to be cleansed of sins with the help of an ice-hole alone. But, the tradition is old and many Orthodox believers observe it.

Only a priest can perform water consecration by reading the appropriate prayers and immersing the cross three times in water.

On reservoirs, an ice hole is made in advance - "Jordan" - as a rule, in the form of a cross. Usually reservoirs - ponds, rivers, lakes are consecrated on the feast of Epiphany itself, after the liturgy.

Epiphany water is a real shrine, which is used for healing and to strengthen the mental and physical strength of us and our loved ones.

From some churches and on Epiphany Christmas Eve after the service, solemn processions are made to the holes in the reservoirs for their consecration.

The Orthodox scoop up holy water in this hole, wash themselves with it, and the most courageous “dive” into the hole.

The Russian tradition of bathing in an ice-hole dates back to the time of the ancient Scythians, who dipped their babies in icy water, accustoming them to the harsh nature.

When they bathe in the hole at Epiphany

On January 18, Orthodox believers celebrate Epiphany Christmas Eve, the eve of Theophany, or Epiphany. In all churches, the "great consecration of water" is performed.

According to church canons, on Epiphany Christmas Eve, a believer must come to church, defend the service, light a candle, collect blessed water.

But no one requires to plunge into ice water, especially if a person is not ready for this. You can just wash it.

In large cities of Russia, on the rivers on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany, they are specially cut down on the rivers and ice holes are equipped for the mass bathing of believers. What inform the population of these cities in the media.

There are no strict rules on how to swim (dip) in the hole for Epiphany. Bathing is a three-time immersion in water with your head. At the same time, the believer is baptized and says “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!”.

Since ancient times, it has been believed in Rus' that bathing at Epiphany promotes healing from various ailments.

Water is living matter. It has the ability to change its structure under the influence of a source of information. Therefore, with what thoughts you approach it, you will receive it.

To plunge into cold water, special preparation is not required. The human body is designed to experience frequent exposure to cold. All you need is the attitude.

What happens to the human body when it comes into contact with cold water? For example, during winter swimming in the hole?

1. Plunging headlong into ice-cold water, the water instantly awakens the central nervous part of the brain, and the brain heals the body.

2. Short-term exposure to low and ultra-low temperatures is perceived by the body as a positive stress: it relieves inflammation, pain, swelling, spasm.

3. Our body is enveloped in air, the thermal conductivity of which is 28 times less than the thermal conductivity of water. This is the focus of hardening with cold water. And during a short run in the snow (for example, to an ice hole and back), only 10% of the body surface is cooled.

4. Cold water releases the deep forces of the body, the body temperature after contact with it reaches 40º, at which viruses, microbes and diseased cells die.

Systemic winter swimming contributes to the improvement of the body, but diving into an ice hole once a year is the strongest stress for the body.

Rules for bathing in the hole for Epiphany

Dipping (swimming) should be done in specially equipped ice holes near the shore, preferably near rescue stations, under the supervision of lifeguards.

Such ice-holes are specially equipped on rivers in large cities on the eve of the Feast of Epiphany for mass bathing of citizens. The population is informed about the location of such places through the mass media.

Before swimming in the hole, it is necessary to warm up the body by doing a warm-up, jogging. The ice hole must be approached in comfortable, non-slip and easily removable shoes to prevent loss of sensation in the legs.

It is better to use boots or woolen socks in order to reach the 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 the ice. When going to the hole, remember that the path can be slippery. Walk slowly and carefully.

Make sure that the ladder for descending into the water is stable. At least for safety, it is necessary to lower the edge of a strong thick rope with knots into the water so that swimmers can use it to get out of the water. The opposite end of the rope must be securely fastened to the shore.

It is best to dive up to the neck without soaking your head in order to avoid reflex constriction of the vessels of the brain.

Never dive headfirst into an ice hole. Jumping into water and submerging head first is not recommended as it increases temperature loss and can lead to cold shock.

When entering the water for the first time, try to quickly reach the desired depth, but do not swim. Remember that cold water can cause perfectly normal, harmless rapid breathing. Once your body has adjusted to the cold.

Do not stay in the hole for more than 1 minute to avoid general hypothermia of the body. When lowering to the bottom in a small hole, the danger is also the following. Not everyone can descend vertically.

Many descend at an angle, shifting towards the ice edge. At a depth of 4 m, the displacement from the starting point can reach 1 - 1.5 m. When ascending with your eyes closed in a small hole, you can “miss” and hit your head on the ice.

If you have a child with you, fly for him during his dive into the hole. A frightened child can easily forget that he can swim.

Getting out of the hole is not so easy. When exiting, do not hold directly on the handrails, use a dry towel, a handful of snow from the edge of the hole, you can scoop up more water in handfuls and lean on the handrails, quickly and vigorously rise.

Getting out in a vertical position is difficult and dangerous. Having broken, you can go under the ice. Need insurance and help.

After bathing (dipping), rub yourself and the child with a terry towel and put on dry clothes;

To strengthen the immune system and the possibility of hypothermia, you need to drink hot tea, best of all from berries, fruits and vegetables from a pre-prepared thermos.

Contraindications for swimming in the hole

Winter swimming is contraindicated for people with the following acute and chronic (in the acute stage) diseases:

inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, accessory cavities of the nose, otitis media;
cardiovascular system (congenital and acquired valvular heart disease, coronary heart disease with angina attacks; previous myocardial infarction, coronary-cardiosclerosis, hypertension stage II and III)
central nervous system (epilepsy, consequences of severe skull injuries;
sclerosis of cerebral vessels in a pronounced 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 (gastric ulcer, enterocolitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis)
skin and venereal diseases.

What is needed for swimming in the hole in the Epiphany of the Lord:

towel and bathrobe, a set of dry clothes;
swimming trunks or swimsuit, you can wear underwear;
slippers, so as not to hurt your feet, only so that they do not slip when walking on ice, woolen socks are better, you can swim in them, boots;
rubber cap;
will power and desire!

To swim in the hole at Epiphany or not, each believer must decide this issue for himself.

But it is important to believe in what you are doing and be close to God not only with your actions, but also with your thoughts.

Only with such a combination will holy water be able to bring a person the miracles that he is counting on.

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