Swimming in an ice hole for Epiphany: what is it for. Rules and features of Epiphany bathing

In the second half of January, a big bright holiday called Epiphany begins for believers. It has interesting traditions that have been observed by all Orthodox Christians for many centuries. One of them is swimming in an ice hole.

If you don’t know why it is performed, then this is a reason to turn to the history of the origin of the church celebration and to the rituals. Epiphany bathing has a number of rules and features that must be followed as a sign of respect to the Lord.

According to the Orthodox calendar, Epiphany occurs on January 19, and Epiphany Eve occurs on the evening of January 18, when the first star lights up in the sky. Traditionally, swimming will take place on January 18, starting at 6 pm, and will end only on January 19 at 6 pm. Over the course of 24 hours, thousands of Orthodox Christians throughout the country will perform the ablution ritual. Only at this time the water in the ice hole is considered special, so it is important to have time to swim.

Swimming at Epiphany in an ice hole - what is it for (the meaning of the ritual)

The tradition of washing in cold water is considered relatively young, since previously people at Epiphany only washed themselves and collected blessed water for the home. Water is indeed an integral part of the bright holiday, but winter swimming on January 19 is purely voluntary.

To understand the meaning of the ritual, you need to turn to the history of its origin. During the life of Jesus Christ, baptism took place on the Jordan River. Christ wanted to accept the Orthodox faith and went into the river. At this time, the waters changed their course, and those who stood on the shore had a vision of the appearance of the Savior on earth. Followers of Jesus began to celebrate the day of his Baptism every year, this date has come down to us.

Interesting!

Numerous scientific studies confirm that water on the day of Epiphany is different from ordinary water. The molecules have a different structure, and their refractive index changes significantly.

It is believed that water on the day of Epiphany becomes special, holy and helps to heal illnesses, heal emotional wounds, wash away sorrows and illness. There is an opinion among people that if you swim in an ice hole on January 19, you can wash away all your sins. This is partly true, but still the main work must be done inside a person. If he sincerely repents, goes to church, prays and asks for forgiveness, then the Lord will be merciful to him. So you don’t need to wait for a miracle to happen after washing, it all depends on you.

Swimming in cold water has a number of advantages:

you feel a surge of vital energy, your mood improves;
immunity is strengthened;
blood circulation improves;
increased ability to work;
depression disappears;
pain in the back and joints goes away;
allergic reactions occur;
The tone of the skin increases and elasticity appears.

However, diving into an ice hole also has its disadvantages, which unprepared people often encounter. The first and main threat is hypothermia. The body experiences severe stress from sudden changes in temperature, which can subsequently cause serious illness. To avoid this, you need to approach the ritual with full responsibility and prepare yourself mentally and physically.

Positive results of dipping and possible negative consequences

To believe or not in the miracles that happen to parishioners who once decided to enter the ice font for baptism is a personal matter for everyone. Many people who came to God and believed in the power of the Father tell their loved ones that after plunging into the ice hole they received a charge of energy and began to feel much better than before this sacrament.

Experts who practice methods of healing patients with the help of alternative medicine often say that after a person dives into an ice bath, a “reconfiguration” of the life program occurs in his body, the speed of metabolic processes improves, which allows him to rejuvenate.

But there are also frequent cases when people who plunged into an ice hole only received harm from extreme winter swimming. Bronchitis and pneumonia are minimal evils.

Often, after diving, physically unprepared, although mentally strong, parishioners are faced with an exacerbation of existing chronic problems. There are frequent cases of acute inflammatory processes in the brain and joints.

How is bathing at Epiphany performed?

On Epiphany Christmas Eve, a ritual of blessing the water takes place: the clergyman reads prayers, then dips the cross into the ice hole three times, after which the Orthodox wash themselves, and the bravest ones bathe.

You need to enter Jordan only with pure thoughts and true faith in your heart. If you have never swam before, but have finally decided to do it, then these tips will help you:

Warm up your body before diving. To do this, you can stretch a little: jump in place, squat. Blood will circulate faster and you will feel warm immediately after swimming;
Prepare comfortable shoes without laces or rivets. To be on the safe side, anti-slip coating is specially placed in designated areas to prevent you from falling;
change clothes and go to the ice hole. Carefully, slowly, enter the water holding the handrails. Immerse yourself gradually. Dip and cross yourself three times in a row. You can't swim in an ice hole. Also, don’t dive headfirst, especially for those with long, thick hair.

After ablution, dry yourself with a towel. It will be good if you are already met on the shore with a towel and thermos. Put on warm clothes and drink hot tea. Do not drink alcohol under any circumstances, either before or after swimming. It is a great sin to be drunk near a holy place on a church holiday, and even more so to drink after the sacrament. In addition, warming from strong drinks will not occur. The effect will be reversed after a while, so you also run the risk of catching a serious cold. It's best to swim in the ice hole when it's warm, so come to Jordan in the afternoon or afternoon.

Traditions, customs, history of the holiday briefly

Since it is generally accepted that this is a Christian holiday , it is most reasonable to look not at reference books and legends, but at the original source - the Bible. What events formed the basis for the events?

The Bible says (Luke 3) what happened when Jesus Christ was 30 years old:

Evangelist Luke writes: “When all the people were baptized, and Jesus, having been baptized, prayed...”
Then he continues: “the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove...”
Luke mentions another important event: “there was a voice from heaven, saying: You are my beloved Son; I am well pleased with you!”

Why did Jesus need to be baptized on (or around) his birthday? The Apostle John recorded the words of John the Baptist: “I did not know Him; but for this reason He came to baptize in water, so that He might be revealed to Israel.” Until then, the people of Israel lived in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. So many prophecies were said about him. And so, thanks to the rite of baptism, the Messiah (the Hebrew word for “savior”, in Greek it sounds like “Christ”) should become clear to everyone. And God precisely indicated by the Holy Spirit and himself said that Jesus is that same savior.

As you can see, the significance of this event is enormous. Here we are talking not only about fun, but about quite serious things. Later, when Christianity became part of our Slavic culture, the pagan holiday made its own adjustments. Or vice versa? Christian made adjustments to pagan... As a result, it appeared:

Blessing of water in churches;
Immersion in the font ;
Fortune telling (see article on fortune telling);
Beliefs, signs;
Exact date; what is not less important!

Unlike many, many holidays, when “communion” is mainly participation in a feast, in the Baptism of Christ more active actions are important! Let's talk about it!

Rules and features of Epiphany bathing

Every year, throughout Russia, thousands of people take to the ice during Epiphany. Visit only designated places where there are ice holes. Firstly, they are equipped for safe descent. Secondly, rescuers, ambulances and police are on duty there around the clock.

You need to know how to swim in an ice hole and not get sick, and then you will experience only positive emotions from the procedure:

Consult your therapist in advance. Tell him your intentions, and the doctor will make a verdict. Do not neglect visiting the doctor, this helps to avoid serious diseases and their exacerbations;
Prepare warm clothes, a towel, shoes, choose a place for swimming. If you plan to make several ice holes in the city, then choose the one with fewer people;
Stay in the ice hole for no more than a minute, go down into the water carefully and do not dive.

If you bring a child with you, do not leave him unattended under any circumstances. Watch him closely during the dive, even if he is a good swimmer. When scared, your child may forget and start to panic, so stay close.

On a note!

Most Jordans are installed so that the depth does not exceed 2 m. Go down the ladder into the water until you reach a depth that is comfortable for you.

Dive rules

The Ministry of Emergency Situations and doctors never tire of reminding people about the rules of Epiphany bathing. The main thing is strict adherence to safety rules, not using unsuitable places, as well as taking care of your health. It is strictly not recommended to dive into water after drinking alcohol; it is not only dangerous, but also contradicts the very meaning of the holiday.

But there are no special restrictions for dipping children (of course, if they wish) - if the child is healthy, then such a ritual can be performed in the presence of parents or legal representatives.

Who can and who can’t swim in an ice hole

If you feel a surge of energy and vigor in your body, and also do not have chronic diseases, then you can take part in the baptismal rite, but only after preparing for it in advance.

In fact, bathing will not bring grace and joy to all people; you should refrain from the ritual:

for bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis;
with prostatitis;
for chronic liver and kidney diseases;
for obesity;
for psoriasis, eczema, and other skin diseases;
those suffering from nervous disorders, insomnia, epilepsy;
in the presence of gynecological diseases.

There is no need to risk your own health if you have at least one of the listed diseases. Remember that bathing is not a necessary part of Baptism, so please exercise discretion.

Why the Church is not quite right

It must be said frankly: from a scientific point of view, swimming in cold water in itself does not lead to health problems. Pneumonia among walruses is very rare, and in general, in fact, is not caused by what we in everyday life define as “cold.” The vast majority of cases of pneumonia generally occur in tropical countries.

Yes, in winter there is often more pneumonia, but not from the cold, but from the fact that people spend more time indoors - including in public places. And the longer you are in a place crowded with people, the higher the chances of contracting its pathogen. In tropical countries it is more common than in northern countries due to the use of firewood for cooking: it heavily pollutes the air, irritates the respiratory tract and makes the lungs more vulnerable to pneumonia. Therefore, no, Epiphany bathing will not increase the likelihood of this disease.

Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas, researchers who study conditions that occur when swimming in cold water, describe the problem of hypothermia from a scientific point of view - and not at all from the way the clergy sees it. As scientists note, a completely healthy person in ice water begins to experience hypothermia (hypothermia) no earlier than 30 minutes later. Needless to say, no one swims this long during the Epiphany frosts. The survival rates themselves were obtained from victims of shipwrecks in cold seas, and there are many statistics of this kind.

Even a graph including all people, not just healthy ones, shows that on average five minutes in ice water is safe for humans (the safe zone is shown in green). Most healthy people can die from hypothermia after only an hour in cold water (lethal zone shown in red) / ©Ross Tucker, Jonathan Dugas

People who suddenly fall through the ice or fall into cold water for a short time can die extremely quickly. But not from low temperature, but from so-called cold shock: it is accompanied by an instinctive attempt to draw in air. If a person is underwater at this moment, he will inhale water, which can definitely be fatal. If there was no strong shock (its strength depends on the level of fear experienced) at the moment of immersion, this will not happen.

The second cause of possible death in icy water is a heart attack. When strongly cooled blood returns to the heart, its electrical conductivity changes dramatically due to the temperature jump. Since electrical impulses control its contraction, the jump in conduction causes disruptions in heart rhythm. If you have a heart condition, this is one step away from an attack.

The third serious problem of swimming in icy water is hyperventilation. For some reason that is not yet very clear, almost all people (except high-level athletes) breathe much more often than necessary during serious physical exertion. The most likely reason for this is that the habit of breathing quickly in difficult situations is an innate response to stress. The lack of serious physical activity in modern humans does not allow the body to “calibrate” the respiratory response to such stress. To put it somewhat crudely, in any unusual situation we begin to breathe more often “out of fright”, unnecessarily.

Excessively rapid breathing creates hypocapnia in the lungs and blood, a CO2 deficiency (while we breathe, the lungs throw it out). From a lack of carbon dioxide, the blood becomes less alkaline, which is why oxygen binds too well to hemoglobin in the blood and does not want to “come unstuck” from it. As a result, the body’s cells begin to experience a serious lack of oxygen (even to the point of “darkening in the eyes” when breathing too quickly).

Let us remind you: in order to breathe, we are forced to strain many core muscles at once. The more often we strain them, the more oxygen they need. That is, on the one hand, rapid breathing deprives us of oxygen, and on the other hand, it increases the need for it.

Unfortunately, hypocapnia occurs not only when we experience physical activity, but also without it - from fear or stress. Moreover, if stress or fear is strong, then during breaks the respiratory center cannot calm down. The severity of the situation can reach the point of loss of consciousness or even death: Alain Bombard noted that people in a shipwreck often die for no reason at all, from fear and stress alone.

When falling into cold water, a person normally experiences stress and sometimes fear. Already at a water temperature of plus five in experiments, the number of human breaths jumps from 16 to 75 per minute - in the first 20 seconds. There are no objective reasons for such a breakthrough: energy consumption by the body increases by a few tens of percent, and not many times.

But the respiratory center of the nervous system in most people works “bypassing” consciousness, and it is not interested in objective reasons. As a result, the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood falls off a cliff, and with it the ability of the blood to transfer oxygen to the body. This is accompanied by a sharp drop in endurance. An average swimmer in normal water will become mediocre in cold water, and a poor swimmer should preferably not go there at all.

From the above it is obvious: if you have heart problems, low fitness of the body and you cannot stand the cold, you should not climb into an ice hole, even if it is fashionable in your environment. At the same time, if you are a completely healthy person and the cold does not cause you uncontrollable stress, then you will not receive any harm.

Let us emphasize once again: the fear factor is very important. If there is one, bathing may be the last. In Denmark, an experiment was conducted with people who bathed in cold water for the first time. As expected, they all experienced hypocapnia because they were breathing too quickly. The normal threshold for pumping air through the lungs for a modern (physically undeveloped) person is seven liters per minute. Most participants in the experiment, after 60 seconds in ice water, pumped 35 liters of air per minute - five times more than normal (breathes more often and deeper).

But some specimens had 200 liters per minute at once - tens of times higher than normal. This type of breathing often occurs during panic. As a result, blood flow to the brain dropped by 50 percent in some. A couple of experiment participants actually fainted from lack of CO2 and the resulting lack of oxygen in the brain. Technically, these people were breathing so fast that they rendered themselves unconscious. If they were alone, they would have a serious chance of choking.

The number of breaths per minute when swimming in cold water for an untrained person is shown in yellow. The horizontal axis shows seconds after immersion in water. After an adaptation period (six three-minute cold showers for six days in a row), the respiratory center of the nervous system adapts and the peak inspiratory rate drops by 20%, sharply reducing the likelihood of loss of consciousness / ©Ross Tucker, Jonathan Dugas

The conclusion is simple: do not swim in cold water alone. Also, don't do this if you tend to be afraid of her. Fear in such a situation can easily knock you out at the most inopportune moment. And losing consciousness in an ice hole is not the best possible way to relax.

Even if you are not afraid, take a sober look at yourself first. Almost the entire overweight population, that is, every fourth resident of our country, is at risk for heart and blood vessels. Certainly, the bulk of them will survive the brief swim despite this. But we would not recommend playing such roulette, where the bet is your life, and there is nothing special about winning.

Is it possible to swim in an ice hole at Epiphany while on menstruation?

During Epiphany bathing, girls and women need to be extremely careful. Representatives of the fair sex should not go into the water during menstruation. Despite the fact that this problem can be easily solved with the help of personal hygiene products, the church does not approve of such an act. As the priests explain this, during menstruation a woman is considered a sinner, and thus by going into the water, she will only offend the shrine.

Another reason why you should not swim in an ice hole during menstruation is a natural weakening of the immune system. No matter how excellent your well-being and health are, during critical days the body becomes very vulnerable. Therefore, danger lurks at every step. Unwanted hypothermia will lead to acute respiratory viral infections, and even worse, to gynecological inflammatory processes. Therefore, if you really wanted to swim, but your body decided otherwise, do not be upset and refrain from the idea, just wet your hands and face in holy water.

So, when can you take a dip in the font? January 18 or 19?

It's simple! From the moment the water was blessed. This happens on the 18th. The clergy will make sure that the ice holes are cut out, and they themselves must lower the cross into the font until the evening, as a symbol of the church’s consecration of water. Next comes prayer. Right here, by the pond. This is a general appeal to God. It is advisable if everyone who intends to dive says a prayer on their own. You just have to ask in your own words for blessings, for help, so that God will give you the knowledge and strength to remain faithful to Him.

That is, most often, swimming is allowed sometime after lunch, towards evening. It is believed that the ritual of ablution itself continues on the 18th in the evening, at night from 18 to 19 and all day on January 19.

How to dive properly? There are no strict rules here. Even if the church considers long shirts more faithful, you can also take a dip in an ordinary bathing suit. Just take into account your personal physical condition: how strong is your heart, can it withstand such a load? Is the body undermined by infectious or viral diseases? If there are no health problems, then nothing will prevent you from participating in this invigorating (literally and figuratively) ritual of ablution.

Do pregnant and nursing mothers bathe at Epiphany?

Girls who are in an “interesting” position should not bathe in ice water at Epiphany. The church does not approve of this. Moreover, bathing can be very dangerous for the unborn baby. During pregnancy, the body is most susceptible to temperature changes, so it is very easy to develop inflammation from hypothermia and catch a cold like a woman. If you do not want to harm the child and develop complications, refuse the ritual.

As for mothers who have already given birth but are breastfeeding, the Orthodox faith does not forbid them anything. But since the body is still vulnerable to external factors and cannot fully protect itself, it is better not to swim. There is a chance of getting gynecological chronic inflammation and even losing milk from stress. Wait until the end of feeding, recover physically to the end and then you can take part in the ritual at least every year.

Attention!

For women, swimming at Epiphany in transparent shirts is unacceptable; wear a white linen or cotton shirt.

Holiday Epiphany

The word “baptize” or “baptize” from Greek is translated as “immersing in water.” It is almost impossible to understand the importance and the very meaning of what Epiphany bathing is without having an idea of the symbolic meaning of water in the Old Testament.

Water is the beginning of life. It was she who fertilized all living beings that came from her. Where there is no water, there is a lifeless desert. And water is capable of destruction, as during the Great Flood, when God flooded the sinful lives of people and thereby destroyed the evil that they did.

God made water holy with His Baptism, and now the Blessing of Water is traditionally celebrated in memory of this event. At this time, water is blessed in all Orthodox churches, and then in rivers and reservoirs.

How to prepare and swim in an ice hole for Epiphany for the first time

The sooner you begin to accustom your body to lower temperatures, the better your body will cope with stress, and you will only get benefits from swimming. Doctors advise starting preparations approximately 5-7 days before the Orthodox holiday.

Starting January 12th, do the following:

start taking a contrast shower in the morning. At first, make the water lukewarm, and then reduce the temperature day by day;
1-2 days before January 19, start dousing yourself with cold water from head to toe. You don’t have to do this outside, you can do it at home in the bathroom;
start doing exercises. Sports improve blood circulation because physical activity causes blood flow and heart rate to increase. This will help you not freeze in the cold.

Some people advise rubbing your skin with olive oil 2 hours before swimming. This method slows down the reaction of the skin to cold, so you will not feel chills immediately, but gradually. Another tip to stay warm is to eat something nutritious a couple of hours before diving. It should be a product containing protein: a piece of meat, eggs, cottage cheese, etc. Such food leaves your stomach feeling full for a long time, but does not weigh it down, so you will feel comfortable.

Epiphany signs

They waited for baptism not only to cleanse themselves spiritually, but also to tell fortunes. To this day, farmers take note of the weather, which is used to determine the harvest and the onset of the sowing season. We started observing the weather at night:

If the sky was starry, then you could expect a good harvest of berries and nuts.
Sunny and dry weather in the morning and afternoon hours of January 19 promised a dry summer, and snowfall, on the contrary, indicated that the year would be productive for wheat.
Among other signs, it was noted that a strong blizzard on Epiphany is a 100% guarantee that spring will be late and cold.

Following beliefs, children born on this Orthodox holiday were endowed with a happy fate and special protection of the Almighty, and swimming in an ice hole is a path to cleansing the soul and acquiring blessings.

Contraindications for swimming

No matter how useful Epiphany bathing is, there are still contraindications for it. And they relate to acute and chronic diseases. This is a disruption of the cardiovascular system (heart defects, hypertension, heart attacks), the central nervous system (skull injuries, epilepsy), the endocrine system (thyrotoxicosis, diabetes), visual organs (conjunctivitis, glaucoma), respiratory organs (asthma, pneumonia , tuberculosis), genitourinary system (cystitis, inflammation of the appendages or prostate gland), gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, cholecystitis, hepatitis), skin and venereal diseases; inflammation of the nasopharynx and otitis, etc.