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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.

Ritual immersion in water is not done for entertainment, but clothes for him have to be chosen very frivolously - beach. Because of this, it turns out that from year to year many people find themselves in front of an ice hole in a form that does not lead to magnificent thoughts: we choose swimsuits and swimming trunks to go to the beach not in order to look modest and neat in them.

The result is a selection of comical photographs of men and women in an inappropriate form for a religious holiday. What to wear so as not to become the hero of funny photos?

Epiphany bathing on Revolution Square in Moscow, January 2016

For pilgrims going to Israel to take a ritual bath in the Jordan River (now this can only be done in a specially equipped place for this in Yardenit), this problem has been solved: they either buy or rent long white shirts - only in them and you can dive into this river. In Russia, bound by Epiphany frosts, a long shirt is not the best option for one reason: when leaving the water, a wet shirt instantly becomes ice and sticks to the body.

There are people who still dip in long T-shirts - usually they are experienced bathers who have been practicing Epiphany washing for many years in a row.

They not only know how to properly plunge into ice water, but also know how to prepare for this action. Going to Epiphany bathing, they prepare a set of things that will help to quickly restore physical condition. And everyone is advised.

The set is simple: terry bathrobe, two large towels (for body and hair), woolen socks. To avoid the risk of bruises and loss of sensation in the legs, it is recommended not to refuse rubber slippers - it is better not to go down into the hole barefoot. And do not forget about warm clothes that you will change into after swimming: a sweater (or two is better), warm trousers, a scarf, a hat and mittens.

Most men and women plunge into the hole in beachwear. And you can choose the right one.

The choice of real men

Men should pay attention to the style of swimming trunks, in which they will find themselves in front of an ice hole. There are many varieties of swimwear for men, but apart from those designed for professional swimmers, divers and surfers, there are several types of swimming trunks designed for the general public.

The first are slips and briefs, these are bathing shorts made of dense material that completely open the hips (I would like to say, of course, slim). Slips and briefs differ in the degree of frankness: the last side seam is rather narrow, so they look completely open. Both slips and briefs, quite popular in Russia, are suitable only for men with a good figure on the beach.

On Epiphany night, they should not be worn, even if you want to show off an athletic physique. This is not the time to show off the results of going to the gym.

The second type of bathing suit is short shorts, which can be either loose or tight. This is generally an ideal option - both for the beach and for the hole: moderately open, they hide everything you need, but at the same time do not interfere with movement. But the third option is Bermuda shorts, popular in the USA, that is, long shorts, although they will help to look like a modest and decent man, after leaving the cold water they will instantly freeze, and it will be very, very unpleasant for the legs.

Come on girls

Women should approach the choice of a bathing suit for Epiphany with special responsibility - after all, this is not a fashion show or a photo session for Instagram against the backdrop of sand and palm trees. In order to avoid malicious comments from deeply religious believers, we recommend giving preference to modest models of swimsuits.

From styles "Plunge" (a one-piece swimsuit with a deep neckline that reaches the navel) and "Monokini" (one-piece swimsuit with cuts on the sides or in the abdomen) should definitely be abandoned. Firstly, they look too sexy, and therefore inappropriate. Secondly, in the conditions of the Russian winter, you will look just stupid. Still, at minus 11 (and weather forecasters promise just such an air temperature in the capital region for baptism), the last thing you will think about is how effectively the swimsuit emphasizes your forms.

Despite the fact that classic one-piece swimsuits look modest, you should not wear them for Epiphany bathing.

It will be more difficult to change clothes from such a model, and it will be colder to leave the hole. Still, wet tissue on the body delivers particular discomfort.

The best solution would be separate swimsuits without sexual details. This is especially true for panties: classic thongs, thongs, ropes and a tanga model are best left for other occasions. For Epiphany bathing, slips and shorts are suitable.

Choose the top depending on the features of the figure. So, women with a magnificent bust should not wear a classic bodice of two triangles with thin straps. A halter (a model that ties on the back and visually lifts the chest) will also look vulgar. Better take a look at the gang. Those who by nature got a small chest were a little more lucky: you can afford any top.

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, 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:

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.

- 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.

At Baptism, water is consecrated for drinking, consecrating the home. You can plunge into the ice hole at Epiphany if you wish, but it is not necessary, especially since this is an inevitable and unjustified risk to health.

On the night of January 18-19, the residents of Saransk, along with the whole country, will celebrate one of the 12 great Christian holidays - the Epiphany. For those wishing to plunge into the holy baptismal water in the capital of Mordovia, they will be arranged.

Usually, those who want to plunge into the font appear by the evening of January 18th. Basically, these are family people and pensioners. By midnight, young people are activated, who meet Epiphany, like the New Year - after twelve. The influx of people to the font dries up only in the morning. By the way, the number of bathing men and women is about the same.

The main thing is repentance

The Church warns against giving any magical character to baptismal bathing and emphasizes that baptismal bathing is not a canonical institution of the Church, but only a tradition, along with Christmas rites.

At Baptism, water is consecrated for drinking, consecrating the home. You can plunge into the ice hole at Epiphany if you wish, but it is not necessary, especially since this is an inevitable and unjustified risk to health. Every Orthodox Christian has already been baptized in the church after birth, and dipping into the baptismal font no longer carries that mysterious meaning. The main thing in the life of every person is repentance, correction of life, striving for God.

Our advice!

Baptismal water cannot be wiped off the face - you need to let it dry. After bathing, you need to rub yourself, dress quickly and warm your feet. The best way to warm up is hot tea with lemon.

Who is contraindicated to swim in the hole

Short-term exposure to low temperatures is perceived by the body as a positive stress: it relieves inflammation, pain, swelling, spasm. But only a fairly healthy person, without inflammatory and chronic diseases, can swim in the hole at Epiphany without consequences.

Winter swimming in an ice hole can cause an increase in blood pressure, headaches, and a strong heartbeat, especially for those people who decide to swim in winter for the first time in their lives. Health problems can occur in people with diseases of the urinary system. Bathing in ice water can exacerbate prostatitis in men and adnexitis in women, exacerbate kidney diseases such as pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis.

Unpleasant consequences can be in people with diseases of the joints, which, after bathing, will be reminded of osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, pain in the spine.

Swimming in the ice-hole at Epiphany is dangerous for people with tumors, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of the cardiovascular system, especially in the acute stage. Gradual hardening can help hypertensive patients lower their blood pressure, and sudden immersion in ice water can even cause death. With a sharp drop in temperature, blood vessels, already narrowed, contract even more, as a result, you can earn a stroke, heart attack.

Signs: born in Baptism - marked by God

In the old days, a bowl of water was placed on the table to see the Baptism of the Lord. At the same time, they said: “At night, the water itself sways.” If at midnight the water in the bowl really swayed, they ran to watch the “open skies” - what you pray to the open sky for will come true.

It is believed that cleaning should be done before Epiphany, but on Epiphany and three days after it is impossible - water is considered holy. It never spoils and has healing properties. The Orthodox keep the consecrated water near the icons, use it for illnesses, the consecration of houses. As you spend in holy water, you can add ordinary water - even one drop of baptismal water can sanctify any amount of ordinary water.

In the villages before Epiphany, old women and girls collected snow from haystacks. Old women - in order to bleach the canvas. And the girls bleached their faces. They believed that the snow collected on Epiphany evening was healing. And a newborn born in Baptism was considered marked by God.

That evening, after returning from church, people drew crosses with chalk or stove ash over the windows and doors in the house. It was believed that this would help protect the house from evil spirits for a whole year.

In every Orthodox country, church holidays reflect traditions, national mentality and historical culture. In Orthodox countries, for example, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Greece, it is customary to swim at Epiphany. Thanks to the tolerance and love of the Orthodox Church, many ancient good traditions have come down to our days.

Customs and Divine Liturgy for Baptism

On January 19, the Church celebrates the great twelfth feast - Epiphany, or the Baptism of the Lord. This day is distinguished by a number of traditions and the well-known consecration of water. However, Epiphany bathing is not just a wellness procedure.

In the annual church cycle there are twelve holidays, called "twelfth" (in Church Slavonic duodecimal). These are the days dedicated to the most important events of the earthly life of Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as the most important historical events of the Church.

The traditions of their celebration have evolved over the centuries, and today they are celebrated all over the world, and, due to their prevalence, they cover even the lives of non-religious people. This is a church sermon, the glory of the name of Christ, which goes beyond the church fence.

Historically, on the banks of the Jordan River on the eve of one of the Jewish holidays, during which ritual ablutions were performed, John the Baptist began his prophetic ministry with the words that before washing with water one must be washed from sins. John the Baptist himself baptized people symbolically — after all, the Lord Jesus had not yet ascended the Cross and founded the Church — but called in such baptism to be cleansed from sins by the grace of God. After the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan, the earthly path of Christ's preaching began.

On the feast of Epiphany, holy water is consecrated by the Great Order, they pray to the Lord for the cleansing and sanctification of dwellings and hearts.

Prayer for Baptism

Blessing of water in churches is usually performed after the morning service - the Divine Liturgy on January 19, but in large churches it can also be done the day before, on January 18.

The great consecration of water takes place once a year, on the great feast of the Baptism of the Lord. At this time, the clergy of the temples located near rivers and reservoirs go out in a big procession to the hole and bless the water in it. Drinking water is also consecrated separately.

A small consecration of water can even be performed daily, so there is always free access to holy water in the temple. In addition, you can order a water-blessed prayer service in the temple or at home to pray for your well-being, help for your family. At the end of the prayer service, draw holy water with you into an empty clean bottle (but not from alcohol).

During the prayer service for water, the priest, on behalf of the fullness of the Church, will ask for a prosperous life, for the health of those praying at the service, for the sanctification of the whole world by the Holy Spirit. After consecrating the water, the priest sprinkles those around him and the dwelling or church with holy water - this is how the grace of God comes to us visibly.

Prayer is performed as follows:

A table with a clean tablecloth is brought to the middle of the temple, on which a metal bowl with water is placed, a portable Cross and the Holy Gospel are placed next to it. A candlestick is placed on the table, on which wax candles appear.

After the start of the service, with the exclamation of the priest, Psalm 142 is read.

After the Psalter, the repeated hymn "God is the Lord" with troparia is sung. While the prayer is being sung, the priest censes the bowl of water crosswise.

Then the 50th psalm, troparia and litany are read - a list of brief petitions for salvation, health and well-being. At this time, the priest incenses around the perimeter of the temple or house where worship is performed.

At the end of the incense, the prokeimenon and the words of the Apostolic Epistle (Heb. 2:14-18) are read, and then the Gospel of John (chapter 5, verse 2-4).

After reading the Gospel, a litany is followed, during which petitions are read for the blessing of water, which is censed by the priest crosswise. Then a special prayer is read, invoking the grace of the Holy Spirit on the water.

After reading the prayer, the clergyman takes the Cross (with the image of Christ towards him), holding it over the water crosswise. Then the whole cross is immersed in water under the troparion “Save, O Lord, Thy people” three times and others.

Taking the Cross out of the water, the priest kisses it (in Church Slavonic - applied to it), sprinkles all those present and the church or house around the perimeter.

All the worshipers in turn venerate the Holy Cross, the priest at this time sprinkles each with holy water (which is why women are not recommended to actively put on makeup before going to church: cosmetics will flow; in addition, in order not to attract too much attention of the worshipers and not be distracted by impressions, but focus on prayer.

Now those who prayed at the prayer service draw water from the bowl. Of course, people who did not order a prayer service or accidentally entered the temple can also draw water. However, this is no longer entirely correct: it turns out that such people will acquire a shrine in a dishonest way (after all, only those who ordered a prayer service and prayed for it can draw water).

How to make an ice hole, Jordan for Epiphany

In many temples near reservoirs, the water in the reservoir (river, sea, lake) is also consecrated. In the cold, if there is ice on the water, a cross-shaped hole is cut out, which is also called “Jordan” (from the name of the Jordan River, that is, people seem to plunge into a small Jordan) with a ladder. There are usually two warm tents, tents (for women and men) near the ice-hole, gangways and stairs are laid to the ice-hole.

Of course, if you are lucky, a bathhouse can be heated at your parish and from it there will be an entrance to the ice hole. Then you combine business with pleasure.
Or take a chance, flood the bathhouse on Epiphany night on the shore.

What to take with you to Epiphany, to swim in the hole

It is worth taking a large towel with you if you want to take a dip and, of course, arrive at the time of the start of the service: otherwise it will only be a “healthy” event, and not a spiritual feat.

During the consecration of water, the priest will immerse the cross in water. At the end of the prayer service, go into the tent, put on a bathing suit (it is better to keep up appearances, you can also wear a long bathing shirt, which is sold in the church, on a bathing suit). When entering the water, hold on to the railing. If you have the strength, get baptized, saying: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit," and then dive headlong. Repeat three times and get out.

If you don’t have the strength, cross yourself, on the shore say to yourself: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” dip once (you don’t even have to dive with your head) and get out.

It is known that, according to pious tradition, the sky opens on Epiphany night and during January 18-19, water is blessed in all reservoirs. Therefore, if you want to take a dip at home, overshadow yourself before the dip with the cross and say the prayer we have named "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." At the same time, it is better to be dressed in swimming trunks or a swimsuit, otherwise it will turn out to be a strange ceremony, it is indecent to pray naked (you are still standing before God).

It is even better to visit the temple, pray at the service, prepare and take communion, and then draw holy water.

Contraindications for swimming in the hole

Remember that it is better to take care of your health, "God saves the safe." Of course, plunging into an ice hole is a feat in the name of the Lord, and its spiritual significance can hardly be exaggerated. But there are diseases, pathologies that are a contraindication to dipping:

• Hypertension, angina pectoris - due to a sharp narrowing of blood vessels during temperature changes, you can get a heart attack or stroke;
• Hypotension (constantly low pressure) - again, the vessels react in such a way that a person may faint;
• Inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, SARS - you can get serious complications;
• Cardiovascular diseases;
• Epilepsy and traumatic brain injury, as well as atherosclerosis;
• Pathologies of the nervous system;
• Pathologies of the endocrine system - diabetes, thyrotoxicosis;
• Eye diseases - again vasoconstriction can lead to visual impairment, etc .;
• Respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis and asthma;
• Any inflammatory processes in the body - in the genitourinary, digestive, reproductive system;
• Find out if you have an allergic reaction to the cold.

Please note that in parishes, at churches, ice holes are supervised by the administration of the settlement, rescuers and doctors are always on duty here, swimming in an “amateur” hole can be really dangerous. And in any case, do not swim alone! You never know how your body reacts, even if before that you practiced swimming in the hole.
In fact, this is not only dangerous - it is not spiritually useful if you did not pray or take communion at the same time.

Family bathing at Epiphany

Women's health is especially fragile, but many women boldly decide to swim at Baptism in order to accomplish a feat for the sake of God, asking Him for special mercy.

It is especially recommended to bathe at Epiphany with infertility. Alas, many families today are barren. Women have been trying to get pregnant for years, both spouses are being treated. Over time, because of disappointment, relationships can be destroyed, there is an insult to life and to God - the Creator and Almighty. This is a completely wrong line of thought. The Lord is our hope. He works miracles. Without leaving medical treatment, one must definitely resort to the Heavenly Physician.

Many cases of healing from infertility and gaining the joy of motherhood by desperate women after praying in front of the icon "Help in childbirth" have been testified. The Church blesses to strengthen their faith and support medical treatment in case of infertility with regular prayers. You should never despair: remember the will of God and the fate of the parents of the Mother of God herself, who only at an advanced age were able to find the long-awaited Daughter, who became the Queen of Heaven.

In no case do not follow any rituals and do not contact psychics. One of the pious Orthodox traditions is a prayer service for the gift of children and for a successful resolution from the burden (easy childbirth). It can be ordered in any temple. There are a number of saints who have special grace in helping pregnant women and those who want to have a baby, and at Baptism, and on any day, you can order a prayer service to the Lord Jesus Christ or the Mother of God. The Lord is the main Helper and Patron of everyone, and the Mother of God is the Intercessor before God of the human race. You can order a prayer service for the gift of children in front of any icon of the Virgin, they especially pray for this in front of the icon of the Virgin “Fadeless Color”, “Help in Childbirth”.

If you want to bathe a child, the father should hold him in his arms, dip him once and immediately wrap him in a towel.

Customs for Baptism

The correct traditions are:

Post before the holiday. On Epiphany Christmas Eve, according to the Charter of the Church, you can’t eat until the first star (if you don’t have the strength, eat), and then they ate kutya, as on Christmas - this is a sweet porridge with honey and dried fruits.

On the eve of the holiday, January 18, they also went to the All-Night Vigil. Today, in some churches, it is performed at night, along with the Liturgy - again, as at Christmas. In most churches in the evening, on the eve of Epiphany, water is blessed in churches and reservoirs. Sometimes, in order not to endanger the night pond, it is consecrated only on January 19th.

It is worth visiting the temple and coming to the Liturgy on January 19 in the morning, having prepared for Confession and Communion.

After the Liturgy, if the reservoir is consecrated and it is not far away, priests and parishioners solemnly go to it in a procession. The rite of consecration of water, which will be called the Great Agiasma (great shrine), is performed only by a priest. They will lower the cross into the hole three times, and then bless the people with it.

They consecrate, but not so solemnly, water in the temple. On this day, and often within three days or a week, large tanks are installed in the temples, and entire queues of people line up for them. Do not take a large volume of water - it can always be added to ordinary water with reverence. Put a donation for holy water: this is drinking water bought by the temple, because, although the Lord blesses the water, you need to beware: in no temple they take water for Baptism simply from dirty reservoirs. It is purchased with donations from philanthropists.

An important Epiphany miracle is that, according to many people, holy water does not deteriorate for a whole year: scientists have even found that holy water has a changed molecular composition. This is a miracle of God, and not the effect of silver, from which temple crosses are made (after all, wooden crosses are often immersed in water).

May the Lord keep you and enlighten you!