MENSBY
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The most common questions about bathing at Epiphany and the recommendations of the Ministry of Emergencies. When to bathe at Epiphany? Is it necessary to bathe at Epiphany? Where did the tradition of swimming in a cold hole for Epiphany come from? What do you need to know about the Baptism of the Lord? How easy is it to transfer swimming in the hole?
You can swim only in places specially equipped for baptismal bathing and rituals, which must be fenced.
Despite the favorable emotional mood, diving into the hole must be approached thoughtfully and carefully. After all, swimming in ice water without special preparation and hardening can cause complications. With high blood pressure, the risk of vasospasm increases, and even a microstroke, and if the pressure is low, convulsions and the risk of losing consciousness in the water.
Before immersion in water, you do not need to drink alcohol, alcohol will only help rapid hypothermia and give an extra load on the heart.
Cool down gradually: first take off your outer clothing, after a few minutes - shoes, then undress to the waist, and only then go into the water.
Before bathing, rub the body with any fat cream or olive oil.
Stay in the water for no longer than two minutes.
After - rub yourself with a terry towel and hurry to a warm room where you can drink hot tea.
Bathing in the font before its consecration by a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church;
Bathing without representatives of the rescue services and medical workers;
Bathing children without the supervision of parents or adults;
Dive into the water with a run;
Contaminate and clog the font;
Bring dogs and other animals with you;
Leave paper, glass and other rubbish on the ice, in wardrobes and locker rooms;
Give false alarms;
Drive up to the font by car;
We remind residents that during Epiphany bathing it is necessary to be careful when entering the ice, it is dangerous to go out to the ice hole in a crowd, the ice can have different thicknesses and you need to be on it with extreme caution.
At the first sign of ice cover destruction, it is necessary to remain calm, not to panic, quickly but carefully lie down on the ice and crawl to a safe place.
If you still find yourself in the water, refrain from diving headlong, spreading your arms wide, do not pull yourself over the edge of the ice. - holding on to it with your hands, you must carefully bring one leg onto the ice, then the other, and then slowly crawl away or roll away from the dangerous place.
When helping someone who has fallen through the ice, give him a belt, scarf, stick, and other improvised items, carefully, trying not to fall through the ice in the place where you are.
Strict observance of safety rules will make it possible to do without victims.
We also note that in order to avoid emergency situations, the organizers of ice holes are given recommendations for equipping places for Epiphany bathing, namely:
The hole is cut on the ice at a distance of no more than 20-25 meters from the shore;
The depth should not exceed 1.5 meters;
The hole inside should be protected by a chain-link mesh;
A ladder and two wooden ladders from two opposite sides should be installed on the ground for people to enter and exit the hole;
What happens to the human body when it comes into contact with cold water? For example, during winter swimming in the hole?
Many doctors say that:
1. Plunging headlong into ice 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.
However, do not forget about the contraindications to 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;
Cardiovascular system (congenital and acquired valvular heart disease, coronary heart disease with angina attacks, myocardial infarction, coronary-cardiosclerosis, hypertension stage II and III);
Central nervous system (epilepsy, the consequences of severe injuries of the skull; cerebral vascular sclerosis 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.
And finally, we note that for swimming in the hole, you need to firmly believe that this will cleanse the body and soul.
Patriarch Kirill: On this holiday, we are given the opportunity to sensually perceive what the Epiphany really was.
When to swim at 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 prepares for the Epiphany slowly, deciding with his family who will be honored after confession and communion, according to the old Russian tradition, 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, paradoxical reactions can be expected 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 temple 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 baptismal 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
Baptism - Bathing at Epiphany is a relatively new tradition. Neither in the historical literature about Ancient Russia, 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 prohibit swimming in water bodies, but before the revolution, it was negative about it. 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 will come to the festive liturgy, whether he will partake of 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 that.
In the biography of the righteous Alexy Mechev, I read how he advised one spiritual daughter, whose husband was an unbeliever, that she should give him prosphora. “Father, he eats it with soup,” she soon complained. "So what? Let it come with soup,” Father Alexy replied. 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 consider 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 extraordinary. 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.
The Baptism of the Lord is a Christian holiday that appeared due to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. According to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at that moment, and the voice of heaven proclaimed: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
In connection with the holiday, a folk tradition appeared in Russia to plunge into the hole. Some Orthodox churches celebrate the baptism of Jesus according to the Julian calendar - January 19, the other according to the New Julian calendar - January 6.
essence
People who believe in God plunge into the hole or other open sources. There is a belief that water during the period of Baptism has healing properties, and is also able to strengthen the spiritual and physical condition.
People are not afraid to freeze and get sick because the water in the hole is a symbolic cleansing from all sins. After washing, the soul is reborn, and thoughts become purer than water itself.
Traditions
Before Epiphany Day, it is customary to observe a strict fast. Also on the eve of the holiday, many believers prepare a festive table, which includes: Lenten kutya, pancakes and jelly.
Swimming in the ice hole takes place from January 18 to 19, most people plunge at night or early in the morning, when there are few people and the ice hole is not polluted. The main tradition before ablution is the consecration of the bathing place. For this, a priest specially comes to cleanse the place by immersing the cross three times and reading the appropriate prayers.
On a holiday, you need to visit a church to light a candle and ask for forgiveness of daily sins. At the ice-hole itself, it is customary to perform ablution - some are completely immersed, others wash their faces and hands.
The water in the bathing places visited by the priest is considered holy. Therefore, people often come to bathe with bottles and take some healing water home.
rules
It is necessary to dive with your head, and the set number of times is three. While bathing, it is advisable to be baptized and do not forget to say a prayer: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Diving in a bathing suit is prohibited, diving is allowed only in a nightgown. Many bring clean things for ablution, which they later do not use for everyday wear, but keep as a holy amulet.
It is forbidden to work on Epiphany days, on this day it is supposed to forget about worldly fuss and completely devote the day to the remission of sins. It is not recommended to drink alcohol and throw magnificent celebrations, because the holiday does not involve long festivities with songs and dances.
Bathing in Russia
In Russia, on the day of Epiphany, when the first church bells were heard, a huge fire was kindled on the shore. The heat was intended for Jesus, who, after dipping into ice-cold water, could warm himself by the fire. They started preparing already a week before the holiday: they were looking for a suitable place, cut out a large cross and placed it near the hole.
Early in the morning everyone gathered for worship, and then went to the river. At the same time, local residents came with kitchen utensils, into which they scooped holy water. There was even a belief - the sooner you scoop, the purer and holier it will be.
Then the crowd dispersed to their homes, where the women set the table, and the men sprinkled the entire household with holy water. It was believed that this tradition would give the family a successful undertaking in all matters, and the house would be a full bowl. In Russia, on the day of Epiphany, it was forbidden to do laundry. There was a belief that the priest's cross scared away all the evil spirits from the water and now she is sitting on the ice, waiting for dirty laundry. And if someone wants to start washing, then the evil spirit will cling to the clothes, then they will get into the house.
Many have the wrong opinion that on Epiphany you need to swim in an ice hole or pour ice water in the cold. In fact, this has never been a prerequisite for every believer.
The Feast of Epiphany brings humility, cleansing from dirty thoughts, atonement for sins and repentance. On this day, people should be closer to each other and more tolerant, help and support, thank God, restore peace of mind and leave everything bad in the past.
Bathing for baptism. What you need to know, how to properly plunge into the hole and who should not do this?
The Baptism of the Lord is a great Orthodox holiday that has a long history, its own rituals, rules and traditions. It is this holiday that ends Christmas time, which lasts from January 7 to 19.
The history of the holiday is rooted in the distant past, when God's son Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River. It was from here that the integral tradition of bathing in the hole began.
Every year the number of people who want to plunge into the hole is only growing. However, not everyone knows the basic rules that must be observed when immersed in ice water.
When is the best time to swim
Many are wondering when it is better to swim - on the eve of the holiday on January 18, or on the Epiphany itself on January 19.
It is believed that on January 18 it is best to go to the temple for the evening service. There, you must definitely read a prayer and collect holy water home. In this case, in this case, you can not collect plastic water or bottles from alcoholic beverages. Holy water should have its own container, previously well washed.
After the festive evening service, you can swim in the hole. The best time for this action is the time interval from 00:00 to 01:30. It was at this time that Epiphany water has the strongest healing properties that help with any ailments. Of course, not everyone can get up at such a time to bathe, so you can do this at any time already on Epiphany itself on January 19th.
How to dive into the hole
You can dive into the hole only in specially designated areas and under the supervision of lifeguards. Initially, a special Jordan in the form of a cross should be carved in the ice, after the priest lowers the crucifix into the water and reads a prayer, you can swim in it.
You can't just go into the water. The body will be in a state of shock anyway, and if certain rules are not followed, the consequences can be disastrous:
An hour before swimming, you must definitely eat, but do not drink alcoholic beverages;
Before bathing, you need to warm up the body, do a warm-up, go for a run;
Clothing should be simple so that it can be easily removed and put on;
You can’t go barefoot to the ice hole, it’s best to wear boots or good woolen socks, you need to wear them so as not to slip;
Check the stability of the ladder or descent into the water;
You need to enter the water gradually, do not do it abruptly, otherwise you can provoke problems with pressure. Diving into the water is also not recommended, as a state of shock may occur;
The maximum time spent in the water should not exceed 30 seconds, this is quite enough to plunge three times;
You can’t dive with your head, it’s best to do it only up to your neck. If you plunge with your head, then the vessels can narrow sharply, this will lead to a sharp decrease in temperature and a shock state of the body;
Try not to swim in cold water, limbs can cramp;
If you have a child with you, watch him, in a state of shock from cold water, he may forget that he can swim;
When leaving the water, hold on to the handrails not with wet hands, but with a dry towel;
After bathing, rub yourself with a towel again;
To warm up, herbal or berry tea is best, but again, by no means alcoholic drinks.
What to bring with you
In order for swimming in the Epiphany hole to be successful, you need to have a number of seemingly everyday, but in this case very necessary items with you.
These include: a towel and a terry dressing gown, a set of dry clothes, a swimsuit or a change of underwear (it is also allowed to dip in it), slippers so as not to slip on the ice, and woolen socks are best, a rubber cap so as not to get your head wet and then not to freeze in the cold, willpower and desire.
Contraindications
As it turned out in the case of swimming in an ice hole, there are a lot of contraindications that can not only spoil the effect of this action, but also lead to exacerbations of diseases.
Doctors do not recommend immersion in Baptism for people who have the following problems with:
with the cardiovascular system;
with the central nervous system - epilepsy, the consequences of severe injuries of the skull; sclerosis of cerebral vessels in a pronounced stage, syringomyelia; encephalitis, arachnoiditis;
with the peripheral nervous system - neuritis, polyneuritis;
with the endocrine system - diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis;
inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx;
with the organs of vision - glaucoma, conjunctivitis;
with respiratory organs - pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
with the genitourinary system - nephritis, cystitis, inflammation of the appendages, inflammation of the prostate gland.
Bathing at the Epiphany. Photo: sanrussia.ru
The Baptism of the Lord is a great Orthodox holiday that has a long history, its own rituals, rules and traditions. It is this holiday that ends Christmas time, which lasts from January 7 to 19.
The history of the holiday is rooted in the distant past, when God's son Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River. It was from here that the integral tradition of bathing in the hole began.
Every year the number of people who want to plunge into the hole is only growing. However, not everyone knows the basic rules that must be observed when immersed in ice water.
When is the best time to swim
Many are wondering when it is better to swim - on the eve of the holiday on January 18, or on the Epiphany itself on January 19.
It is believed that on January 18 it is best to go to the temple for the evening service. There, you must definitely read a prayer and collect holy water home. In this case, in this case, you can not collect plastic water or bottles from alcoholic beverages. Holy water should have its own container, previously well washed.
After the festive evening service, you can swim in the hole. The best time for this action is the time interval from 00:00 to 01:30. It was at this time that Epiphany water has the strongest healing properties that help with any ailments. Of course, not everyone can get up at such a time to bathe, so you can do this at any time already on Epiphany itself on January 19th.
How to dive into the hole
You can dive into the hole only in specially designated areas and under the supervision of lifeguards. Initially, a special Jordan in the form of a cross should be carved in the ice, after the priest lowers the crucifix into the water and reads a prayer, you can swim in it.
You can't just go into the water. The body will be in a state of shock anyway, and if certain rules are not followed, the consequences can be disastrous:
- an hour before swimming, you must definitely eat, but do not drink alcoholic beverages;
- before bathing, you need to warm up the body, do a warm-up, go for a run;
- clothing should be simple so that it can be easily removed and put on;
- you can’t go barefoot to the ice hole, it’s best to wear boots or good woolen socks, they need to be dressed so as not to slip;
- check the stability of the ladder or descent into the water;
- you need to enter the water gradually, do not do it abruptly, otherwise you can provoke problems with pressure. Diving into the water is also not recommended, as a state of shock may occur;
- the maximum time spent in the water should not exceed 30 seconds, this is quite enough to plunge three times;
- you can’t dive with your head, it’s best to do it only up to your neck. If you plunge with your head, then the vessels can narrow sharply, this will lead to a sharp decrease in temperature and a shock state of the body;
- try not to swim in cold water, limbs can cramp;
- if you have a child with you, watch him, in a state of shock from cold water, he may forget that he can swim;
- when leaving the water, hold on to the handrails not with wet hands, but with a dry towel;
- after bathing, rub yourself with a towel again;
- to warm up, herbal or berry tea is best, but again, by no means alcoholic drinks.
What to bring with you
In order for swimming in the Epiphany hole to be successful, you need to have a number of seemingly everyday, but in this case very necessary items with you.
These include:
- towel and bathrobe;
- a set of dry clothes;
- swimsuit or change of underwear (it is also allowed to dip in it);
- slippers, so as not to slip on the ice, and woolen socks are best;
- a rubber cap so as not to soak your head and then not to freeze in the cold;
- willpower and desire.
Contraindications
As it turned out in the case of swimming in an ice hole, there are a lot of contraindications that can not only spoil the effect of this action, but also lead to exacerbations of diseases.
- with the cardiovascular system;
- with the central nervous system - epilepsy, the consequences of severe injuries of the skull; sclerosis of cerebral vessels in a pronounced stage, syringomyelia; encephalitis, arachnoiditis;
- with the peripheral nervous system - neuritis, polyneuritis;
- with the endocrine system - diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis;
- inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx;
- with the organs of vision - glaucoma, conjunctivitis;
- with respiratory organs - pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
- with the genitourinary system - nephritis, cystitis, inflammation of the appendages, inflammation of the prostate gland.
Maria Babich
Published: 14.12.2017 Category: Author's essay
Russia is an Orthodox country. In a difficult period in the life of the church from the revolution to perestroika, tens of thousands of churches were destroyed, and a whole generation grew up knowing nothing about Orthodoxy. But, like a phoenix from the ashes, Orthodoxy is reborn in the life of Russians. Churches and monasteries are being restored, Sunday schools and Orthodox television channels are operating.
The return of the church into 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 twelfth. In large church iconostases there is a so-called "holiday rite". The icons of this row 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 the Epiphany is celebrated in memory of this event.
Being baptized in the waters of the Jordan is still considered a very important event for a new Christian today. Believers from all over the world tend 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. unrelated, like Easter, to 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 procession from the temple to the hole to bless 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 religious procession took place at Epiphany, and water was blessed. But only after perestroika, bathing in the hole at Epiphany became widespread.
Consecrated, baptismal water is considered holy and has healing powers. Such water stands and does not deteriorate for more than a year. All diseases are treated with such water, they wash themselves, sprinkle the patient's bed. Only women on critical days should not use such water.
In Greek, “to baptize” means “to immerse in water.” Bathing in the hole at Epiphany is the washing away of sins and the entry into the new year sinless.
Why 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 gets closer to the church holiday.
Bathing in ice water, which is also consecrated, is a great way to harden. The clergy claim that for 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 font for Baptism. Most of them believe that bathing in the hole at Baptism will cleanse them of their sins.
How to prepare for bathing at Epiphany?
The Feast of Epiphany is preceded by a rather strict one-day fast. On January 18, it is allowed to eat sochen - cakes in hemp oil and kutya. The house should be cleaned, trash thrown away.
Swimming in the hole at Epiphany is not recommended for people with certain diseases. These diseases include bronchial asthma, pulmonary diseases, hypertension, hypotension, thyroid disease, epilepsy, heart disease.
Prayers uttered at Baptism are sure to come true. On this day, according to church canons, the heavens open, and they will be heard.
How to bathe in Epiphany?
The rules for baptismal bathing are quite simple. They do not require special preparation for bathing in the hole for Epiphany.
How to bathe in Epiphany? Before swimming, you need to warm up a little. It is necessary to undress for swimming in a certain sequence: first remove outer clothing, then undress to a swimsuit, and shoes should be removed only before entering the water. On ice and snow, feet freeze very quickly. It is necessary to enter the ice water quickly, and stay in it from 20-30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on the state of health and the habit of cold water. According to the canons, one must plunge into the water with his head three times and, emerging, be baptized.
Swimming in an ice hole is not a church prescription, but simply a tradition that is welcomed by the church. But since the holiday is a church one, the swimsuit and swimming trunks do not look very harmonious against the background of the cross in front of the font. In monasteries for bathing, long shirts are sewn, similar to baptismal ones. They are the same for men and women.
After leaving the water, you should quickly dry yourself, put on dry, warm clothes and drink hot tea. It is strictly forbidden to combine swimming in the hole with drinking alcohol, and only after swimming you can drink a small glass to warm up.
In principle, there are no significant differences in bathing in the Baptism of women and men. It is only necessary to take into account that the female body is more fragile, the skin is more tender.
To protect the skin, before bathing in the hole for Epiphany, women are recommended to smear themselves with a fat cream, vegetable oil, preferably olive oil. This will make it easier to get used to cold water and protect the skin. You can not swim for pregnant women, and women on critical days.
Acute infectious and chronic diseases of the female organs can be added to the list of previously listed diseases for women.
Bathing a girl in an ice hole at Epiphany is practically no different from bathing women. Girls should be more attentive to their body. After all, many of them swim “for company” with friends, husbands, solely out of the desire to take a spectacular photo in a beautiful swimsuit. Bathing in the Baptism of a girl with a weak immune system, 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 by dousing with cool, and then cold water, swimming in the fall in already cooling ponds, gradually bringing the body to Epiphany bathing.
How to choose a place for swimming?
Every year the number of people taking part in the procession and baptismal bathing increases. Therefore, the number of places for swimming is also 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 in Epiphany.
Bathing at Epiphany should be in specially designated places. As a rule, these are rivers and reservoirs, which are located near temples and monasteries, so that the procession to the Jordan would not be too long. Since the feast 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 ideally be. But given the scale of our country, far from all bathing places are equipped in this way. The presence of doctors in the provinces is generally exotic. Therefore, when choosing a place where to bathe in Epiphany, try to find a traditional place where many people come. They can always help. Insure, 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 fonts are being equipped 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 Oborona Avenue. Fonts are being equipped in Kolpino, Krasnoye Selo, Sestroretsk, Peterhof and Pushkino.
The most massive Epiphany bathing takes place in the Volga cities - Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Uglich, Nizhny Novgorod, Tutaev and others. Here, the traditions of Orthodoxy were not lost in 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 goes to the fonts on the Volga. After the consecration of the hole, Epiphany bathing begins, which lasts all night from January 18 to 19 and until the evening of January 19.
Moscow and the Moscow region do not lag behind the Volga cities, Epiphany bathing is organized here with the utmost responsibility, tents for changing clothes are set up near the ice hole, and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and ambulance doctors monitor the process. We have prepared a review.
The return of Orthodox traditions to the life of Russians is not just a fashion. This is a return to the origins of spirituality.
Safety rules for Epiphany bathing
We hope our review was useful to you, and now you know why they bathe at Epiphany and how to prepare for bathing at Epiphany. If you have experience swimming in an ice hole, share it in the comments to the article.
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