Where did the tradition of bathing on Epiphany come from, what is celebrated on this day and in what countries bathe in winter. Today we will tell you about the customs of this winter holiday.
On the History of the Feast of Epiphany
On January 19, the holiday of Epiphany is celebrated in Russia. This day is one of the most important church holidays in Christianity. According to the Bible, at the age of 30, Jesus Christ came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist. During the rite, all those present saw a dove that descended from heaven and began circling over Jesus. At the same moment they heard a voice announcing that Jesus was the Son of God. This was the first time the believers saw the manifestation of the Holy Trinity - father, son and holy spirit.
Traditionally, the evening before Epiphany is called Christmas Eve, as is the evening before Christmas. We wrote about it in detail in another article.
As on Christmas Eve, on this day it is customary to keep a strict fast and not to eat until evening. But for dinner, they prepare fasting dishes - kutya, make compote and bake fasting pies.
Traditions on Epiphany night
The most famous traditions for celebrating Epiphany are related to with the rite of consecration of water. In churches, a sacrament is performed, at the end of which a cross is dipped into the water, after which it becomes holy. This water is kept in the house until the next Baptism and used in extreme cases, for example, during illness.
But there is one more unusual tradition, which I would like to dwell on in detail. At the end of the 20th century, a mass custom of bathing on Epiphany in a special ice-hole in a body of water took root in Russia. And even people who are far from "walrus bathing" come in any weather to perform this rite. At the same time, the church officially does not recognize the need to dip in icy water on Epiphany. But despite this, people firmly associate this ritual with the religious holiday.
Why this happened, there is no exact answer. It is known that back in the olden days peasants used to dive into the water on Epiphany by analogy with bathing after a bath. But again, this bathing in the ice-hole was not directly related to the church regulations.
There is another version connected with ancient rites. On the eve of Epiphany, Christmas Eve was the end of Christmas Eve, a 12-day period after Christmas with such a deep history that it has long united Christian and pagan beliefs. According to legend, at the end of the merry festivities it was necessary to wash off all the "unclean" from oneself. This is how the tradition of bathing on this night came about.
Where else winter bathing is popular
But bathing in winter is not only a Russian tradition. Let's see what other countries have such a custom:
- Canada - in Vancouver for more than 100 years, January 1 has been celebrated on English Bay swim! And the polar bears club adds new members every year;
- USA - Chicago has its own winter swimming club. Every year in January its members hold a swim in Lake Michigan. This year it will be on January 25;
- Great Britain - here every year Christmas bathing in Lake Serpentine takes place. By the way, this tradition is more than 160 years old!
- Netherlands - Like Canadians, local "walruses" hold a New Year's Day swim in the North Sea on January 1;
- Bulgaria - since the majority of people in this country are Christians, bathing in an ice-hole here, as in Russia, is of a religious nature. Bulgarians also hold mass dipping in icy water on Epiphany (January 6).
And the Finns can be recognized as the leaders of winter hardening - in Finland, the second swimming season opens in October. Everyone, from children to the elderly, takes part in it.
More interesting articles about winter holidays can be found on our blog:
