January 26, 2020

Russians Celebrate Epiphany in Ice-Cold Water


Russians Celebrate Epiphany in Ice-Cold Water
Would you want to take a dip here? RIA Novosti archive, image #550903 / Vitaliy Ankov / CC-BY-SA 3.0 [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

More than two million believers took part in Epiphany Day celebrations on January 19. This holiday is dedicated to Jesus Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River.

There are many ways to mark this holiday, but they all involve water. Priests bless water, which is believed to then maintain special properties; for example, the water allegedly won’t go sour when it’s stored for long periods. In addition, it is said to heal bodily and spiritual diseases and drive away evil spirits.

There’s also a folk tradition of being immersed in ice-cold water to symbolize Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan. The night before or the day of Epiphany, thousands of believers dunk themselves three times in icy water to embrace their faith. Doctors recommend no more than 30 seconds in the water, to avoid hypothermia, and suggest going in only up to one's chin, without dunking your entire head underwater. Other experts aver that there are some benefits from the cold, such as strengthening the immune system and developing the cardiovascular system.

In the week following Epiphany, many cities organized volunteer clean-up opportunities for locals to help pick up cups, slippers, towels, and other trash leftover from the celebrations. For example, in the Chelyabinsk region, around 102 baptismal-style dunkings were organized, with over 40,000 people participating. The region had a  large-sale volunteer clean-up day yesterday.

Tags: epiphany
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955