Bath of the Orthodox Epiphany: Between Tradition and Religion

“For me, it is more a tradition than a religious celebration, though I am a believer.” Yura is 27, and cannot miss the traditional water baptism of the Orthodox Epiphany (‘Kreshchenie’ in Russian) held every year on January 19th all over the Orthodox world. Enjoying a bath in frozen water – or at least in very cold water, depending on the region – is said to be very good for health, protecting from diseases for the entire coming year.
From a strictly religious point of view, it also symbolizes purification. Moreover, according to the Orthodox Church’s calendar, this day marks the end of the ‘Sviatki’ – ‘The Holy Days’ starting on January 7th with the Orthodox Christmas.
For this event, which is entirely focused on water, the Church usually organizes official ceremonies along the rivers. Priests bless believers and the water they brought from their homes. Once purified, people bring back home their ‘Holy Water’ that will be then used on special occasions or simply kept next to the religious icons. It is only at the end of the ceremony that believers are expected to dive into the river, regardless of the ambient temperature. It is amazing to observe these definitely very pious grandmothers daring to swim for a few seconds in freezing water!
Apart from the official gatherings, along the rivers and the lake shores, people like Yura prefer to meet with their friends and relatives to enjoy their bath together – far from the holy commotion led by the religious authorities, but definitely close to the tradition.