Every year on the 19th January Orthodox Russian Christians dunk themselves into killer cold water as part of a religious festival. The activity is dedicated to to the moment Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. I expect it was quite a bit warmer for Jesus in the Jordan than it is for the bonkers Russians wherever they are in their frozen country in January.
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They believe the epiphany dip is miraculous and healing on these sacred days. Personally I think it’s pretty miraculous that they get out of their ice baths alive at all.
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In villages they go down to the local river or lake for their slice of Epiphany bathing, in towns they have specially designed pools etc. There are always little huts nearby where the dedicated can warm up with honey and cakes.
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Over 94,000 Russians took part across the country in January 2014. In Yakutia in Russia’s far east the Epiphany nutters had to brave -45 C temperatures to ensure their miracle.
The majority of the bathers this year were in Moscow, some 90,000, they only had to deal with -20 C the lucky things.
One Yakutia bather said “No, I am not worried at all!” one of the Yakutian bathers told Ruptly news agency. “This is the fifth year I’m bathing on Epiphany. The feeling is just great, rejuvenating, I would say, it is like being born again. I have never got ill after swimming, everything is perfect.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF AN INCREDIBLY COLOURFUL RUSSIAN MONASTERY
The belief of the Orthodox Church is that on the evening of the 18th of January all water becomes holy, even the stuff coming out of your taps. So many people bottle the water on the 18th and 19th to keep it for miraculous emergencies throughout the year. The belief that the water becomes holy on these days has existed since 1525 but the full body bathing in frigid waters has only really taken off since the 1990’s.
Epiphany is also known in the Orthodox Church as Theophany, which means the shining forth and manifestation of God.
The bathing, also popular among nonbelievers, can be performed in 37 special places in the Russian capital after waters there are blessed by Orthodox priests.
Faith in the power of the activity is strong throughout all sectors of the population. The president of Russia’s Cold Treatment and Sports Winter Swimming Federation, Vladimir Grebyonkin, said it is impossible to fall ill after dipping into icy water on Epiphany. Impossible!?
Vladimir Grebyonkin went on to say “Physicists have established that on Epiphany the crystalline structure of water changes on Earth, including in the human organism that consists of 75% water. Water self-purifies, so even an unprepared person won’t catch a cold when swimming in cold water on Epiphany”.
I love the pictures but I’m still not tempted funnily enough.
They’re mental aren’t they?
