Ordinary miracle: Dipping in cold water to celebrate Orthodox Epiphany

Jan 20 2014

Ricardo Marquina

RBTH

This past weekend, when the temperature in Moscow reached -20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit), hundreds of people came to Serebryany Bor (a large forest park in North-west Moscow) to dip in the capital’s biggest pool of water on the day of the Epiphany.

The Epiphany, or the Baptism of Christ, is one of 12 major Orthodox holidays. Observant Orthodox believers have a tradition of dipping in water on Epiphany Eve. Priests and the congregations of many churches and parishes go out to a body of water where a hole was previously cut in the ice.

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