Epiphany January 19th. Feast of the Epiphany
January 19, 2018 Epiphany of the Lord: what kind of holiday is it and how is it celebrated, rituals and beliefs of this day. Epiphany is an important day in the church calendar. It has special meaning for believers. Christians have great respect for the traditions of celebrating Epiphany.
The holiday of Epiphany was established in memory of the events associated with the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. According to history, in those days it was customary to baptize only adults who were able to become imbued with religion and faith in God. Jesus Christ was baptized at age thirty.
On Epiphany of the Lord, believers visit churches. Festive services are held in churches, during which the sacrament of communion with baptismal water is performed. On the night of Epiphany, from January 18 to 19, an all-night vigil is held, which turns into the morning liturgy.
Believers bring holy water from temples. At home, on Epiphany, people usually perform a special ceremony. To do this, they sprinkle Epiphany water in the corners of the rooms of their home. It is believed that with the help of this ritual it is possible to protect all family members from evil misfortunes and all evil spirits.
Also on the night of Epiphany 2018, you can perform a ritual to fulfill a wish. To do this, you need to go outside on Epiphany night and ask for help from the Universe and the Almighty. It is believed that on such a festive night, any words addressed to the Higher Powers will be heard.
There is a popular belief that young people who get married on Epiphany will live a long and happy life.
It is believed that a person who is baptized on this big holiday will be happy and live a very long time.
If on January 19, 2018, on the Epiphany of the Lord, a young girl, going out into the street in the morning, sees a young guy first, then she will get married in the coming year. And if the first person you meet on Epiphany morning 2018 is an elderly person, then the girl will remain lonely until the end of the year.
In the old days they said that if it is frosty and sunny on Epiphany on January 19, then the summer will be hot and the harvest will be rich.
One of the main Epiphany rituals is swimming in an ice hole. It is believed that by plunging into the ice hole on January 19, 2018, on Epiphany, you will gain strength and health for the whole year.
Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany, or Epiphany, on January 19. On this day, the Church remembers the gospel event - how the prophet John the Baptist baptized the Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
What is the Baptism of the Lord
The Baptism of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ is one of the most important Christian holidays. On this day, Christians around the world remember the gospel event - the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. The Savior was baptized by the prophet John the Baptist, who is also called the Baptist.
The second name, Epiphany, was given to the holiday in memory of the miracle that occurred during baptism. The Holy Spirit descended from heaven on Christ in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven called him Son. Evangelist Luke writes about this:The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying: You are My Beloved Son; My favor is in You! (Matt. 3:14-17). That's how it wasrevealed in visible and accessible to human images, the Holy Trinity: the voice is God the Father, the dove is God the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is God the Son. And it was testified that Jesus is not only the Son of Man, but also the Son of God. God appeared to people.
Epiphany -twelfth holiday . The twelfths are holidays that are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). Epiphany is the Lord's holiday.
When is the Epiphany celebrated?
The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany on January 19.
The Feast of the Epiphany has 4 days of pre-celebration and 8 days of post-celebration. Forefeast - one or several days before a major holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, after-feasts are the same days after the holiday.
The celebration of the holiday takes place on January 27 according to the new style. The celebration of the holiday is the last day of some important Orthodox holidays, celebrated with a special service, more solemn than on ordinary days of post-feast.
Events of the Epiphany
After fasting and wanderings in the desert, the prophet John the Baptist came to the Jordan River, in which the Jews traditionally performed religious ablutions. Here he began to talk to the people about repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and to baptize people in the waters. This was not the Sacrament of Baptism as we know it now, but it was its prototype.
The people believed the prophecies of John the Baptist, many were baptized in the Jordan. And then, one day, Jesus Christ himself came to the banks of the river. At that time He was thirty years old. The Savior asked John to baptize Him. The Prophet was surprised to the core and said:“I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Christ assured him that“It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” During baptism, the sky opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying: You are My Beloved Son; My favor is in You! (Luke 3:21-22).
The Baptism of the Lord was the first appearance of Christ to the people of Israel. It was after Epiphany that the first disciples followed the Teacher - the apostles Andrew, Simon (Peter), Philip, Nathanael.
In the two Gospels - Matthew and Luke - we read that after Baptism the Savior withdrew into the desert, where he fasted for forty days in order to prepare for his mission among people. He was tempted by the devil and did not eat anything during these days, and after they were over, he finally became hungry (Luke 4:2). The devil approached Christ three times and tempted Him, but the Savior remained strong and rejected the evil one (as the devil is called).
What can you eat on Epiphany?
There is no fasting on the feast of Epiphany. But on Epiphany Eve, that is, on the eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians observe strict fasting. The traditional dish of this day is sochivo, which is prepared from cereals (for example, wheat or rice), honey and raisins.
Epiphany of the Lord - the history of the holiday
The Epiphany of the Lord began to be celebrated even when the apostles were alive - we find mention of this day in the Apostolic Decrees and Rules. But at first, Epiphany and Christmas were a single holiday, and it was called Epiphany.
Starting from the end of the 4th century (in different places in different ways), the Epiphany of the Lord became a separate holiday. But even now we can observe echoes of the unity of Christmas and Epiphany - in worship. For example, both holidays have a Eve - Christmas Eve, with strict fasting and special traditions.
In the first centuries of Christianity, converts were baptized on Epiphany (they were called catechumens), so this day was often called the “day of Enlightenment”, “feast of Lights”, or “holy Lights” - as a sign that the Sacrament of Baptism cleanses a person from sin and enlightens with the Light of Christ . Even then there was a tradition to bless water in reservoirs on this day.
"Drawing water at midnight..."
It is not at all a simple question when Epiphany became an independent holiday. This did not happen all over the vast Christian world at the same time. But from the second half of the 5th century, Epiphany is almost universally celebrated as a separate holiday, and the word “Epiphany” becomes its synonym, no longer relating to Christmas.
The Church Council of the mid-6th century officially called the 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany holidays - from December 25 to January 6, but these two great celebrations were already distinguished.
The main distinguishing feature of Baptism is the consecration of water. This custom arose in ancient times and over time turned into a kind of “calling card” of the holiday.
For a long time there were disputes about how many times the blessing of water should be carried out - once or twice? For example, it was only in 1667 that the Russian Church finally decided to bless water twice - both on Vespers and on the feast of Epiphany itself. As a rule, the first time consecration takes place in churches, and the second time - on rivers, lakes, and ponds.
Moreover, the two blessings of water go back to two different church traditions.
The first of them is connected with the order established by the early Christians: to baptize converts on the Eve of the holiday. That is why the holiday once had a third name: it was called “the day of Enlightenment” - as a sign that the Sacrament of Baptism cleanses a person from sin and enlightens him with the light of Christ.
But subsequently there were so many who wanted to accept the faith of Christ that one day was clearly not enough for this. Baptisms began to be performed on other dates. The custom of consecrating water on Evening Day - even if none of the converts are in the temple - has been preserved.
At first she was blessed only once, at midnight. Back in the 4th century, Saint John Chrysostom wrote about the blessing of water like this:“Christ was baptized and sanctified the nature of the waters; and therefore, on the feast of Epiphany, everyone, having drawn water at midnight, brings it home and keeps it all year round. And so the water in its essence does not deteriorate from the continuation of time, drawn now for a whole year, and often two and three years remains fresh and undamaged, and after such a long time is not inferior to the waters just drawn from the source.”
It was only in the 10th century that the blessing of water was moved from midnight to Vespers.
The tradition of consecrating water a second time has different roots.
Initially it concerned only the Jerusalem church. There, the second consecration of water began to be performed in the 4th-5th centuries, since there was a custom of going out to the Jordan River to bless water in memory of the Baptism of the Savior himself. From there, the custom of the second consecration of water gradually spread throughout the Orthodox world.
Since time immemorial, there has been a custom of drinking Epiphany water for health and sprinkling it in all the corners of the house - to “drive away evil spirits.”
Bishop Hilarion (Alfeev) explains this custom as follows:“The Lord Jesus Christ Himself came to the Jordan to John to plunge into the waters of the Jordan - not to cleanse them from sin, but in order to sanctify them, transform them, fill them with life... And He descended into the waters of the Jordan to take upon Himself the burden of sin and death and the water element again to become the element of life. Since then, every year we consecrate the water, and this water becomes a great shrine. This water, in which God Himself is present, sanctifies everything that is sprinkled with it, it heals people from illnesses.”
Folk traditions of Epiphany
Every church holiday is reflected in folk traditions. And the richer and more ancient the history of a people, the more complex and interesting the intertwining of folk and church is obtained. Many customs are far from true Christianity and close to paganism, but they are nevertheless interesting from a historical point of view - in order to get to know the people better, in order to be able to separate the essence of this or that holiday of Christ from the colorful stream of folk imagination.
In Rus', Epiphany was the end of Christmastide, girls stopped fortune telling - a purely pagan activity. Ordinary people were preparing for the holiday, which, it was believed, would cleanse them of sins, including the sins of Christmas fortune-telling.
At Epiphany, a great blessing of water was performed. And twice. The first one is on Epiphany Christmas Eve. The water was blessed in the font, which stood in the center of the temple.
The second time the water was blessed on the feast of Epiphany itself - in any local body of water: river, lake, well. A “Jordan” was cut into the ice - an ice hole in the form of a cross or a circle. Nearby they placed a lectern and a wooden cross with an ice dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
On the day of Epiphany, after the liturgy, people walked to the ice hole in a procession of the cross. The priest served a prayer service and lowered the cross into the hole three times, asking for God's blessing on the water. After this, all the villagers collected holy water from the ice hole and cheerfully poured it over each other. Some daredevils even bathed in ice water in order, according to popular belief, to cleanse themselves of sins.
It should be noted that this belief has nothing to do with the teachings of the Church. Swimming in an ice hole (Jordan) is not a church sacrament or rite; it is precisely a folk tradition of celebrating the Epiphany.
Epiphany or Epiphany is one of the most important twelve holidays of Orthodoxy. Read all about the history of this event in the article!
Epiphany, or Epiphany - January 19, 2019
What holiday is it?
Forefeast of Epiphany
Since ancient times, Epiphany has been one of the great twelve holidays. Even in the Apostolic Constitutions (Book 5, Chapter 12) it is commanded: “Let you have great respect for the day on which the Lord revealed the Divinity to us.” This holiday in the Orthodox Church is celebrated with equal grandeur as the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. Both of these holidays, connected by “Christmastide” (from December 25 to January 6), constitute, as it were, one celebration. Almost immediately after the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ (from January 2), the Church begins to prepare us for the solemn feast of the Epiphany of the Lord with stichera and troparions (at Vespers), three songs (at Compline) and canons (at Matins) specially dedicated to the upcoming holiday, and church hymns in The honor of the Epiphany has been heard since January 1: at Matins of the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, the irmos of the canons of the Epiphany are sung: “He opened the depths, there is a bottom...” and “A stormy storm is moving in the sea...”. With its sacred memories, following from Bethlehem to the Jordan and commemorating the events of Baptism, the Church in the pre-festive stichera calls on the faithful:
“We will go from Bethlehem to the Jordan, for there the Light is already beginning to illuminate those who are in darkness.” The coming Saturday and Sunday before Epiphany are called Saturday and the Week before Epiphany (or Enlightenment).
Eve of Epiphany
The eve of the holiday - January 5 - is called the Eve of Epiphany, or Christmas Eve. The services of the Vigil and the holiday itself are in many ways similar to the service of the Vigil and the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.
On the Eve of Epiphany on January 5 (as well as on the Eve of the Nativity of Christ), the Church prescribes strict fasting: eating food once after the blessing of water. If the Vespers happen on Saturday and Sunday, the fast is made easier: instead of once, eating food is allowed twice - after the liturgy and after the blessing of water. If the reading of the Great Hours from the Vespers, which happened on Saturday or Sunday, is postponed to Friday, then there is no fasting on that Friday.
Features of the service on the Eve of the holiday
On all weekdays (except Saturday and Sunday), the service of the Vesper of Epiphany consists of the Great Hours, Fine Hours and Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great; After the liturgy (after the prayer behind the pulpit), the water is blessed. If Christmas Eve happens on Saturday or Sunday, then the Great Hours take place on Friday, and there is no liturgy on that Friday; the liturgy of St. Basil the Great is moved to the day of the holiday. On the very day of Christmas Eve, the liturgy of St. St. John Chrysostom occurs in due time, followed by Vespers and after it the Blessing of Water.
The Great Hours of the Epiphany and their contents
The troparia point to the division of the waters of the Jordan by Elisha with the mantle of the prophet Elijah as a prototype of the true Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, by which the watery nature was sanctified and during which the Jordan stopped its natural flow. The last troparion describes the tremulous feeling of Saint John the Baptist when the Lord came to him to be baptized. In the parimia of the 1st hour, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, the Church proclaims the spiritual renewal of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (Is. 25).
The Apostle and the Gospel proclaim the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, who testified to the eternal and Divine greatness of Christ (Acts 13:25-32; Matt. 3:1-11). At the 3rd hour, in special psalms - 28 and 41 - the prophet depicts the power and authority of the baptized Lord over water and all the elements of the world: “The voice of the Lord is on the waters: the God of glory will roar, the Lord on many waters. The voice of the Lord in the fortress; The voice of the Lord is in splendor...” These psalms are also joined by the usual 50th psalm. The troparia of the hour reveal the experiences of John the Baptist - awe and fear at the Baptism of the Lord - and the manifestation in this great event of the mystery of the Trinity of the Divinity. In parimia we hear the voice of the prophet Isaiah, foreshadowing spiritual rebirth through baptism and Calling for the acceptance of this sacrament: “Wash yourself, and you will be clean” (Is. 1: 16-20).
The Apostle talks about the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:1-8), and the Gospel talks about the Forerunner who prepared the way for the Lord (Mark 1:1-3). At the 6th hour, in Psalms 73 and 76, King David prophetically depicts the Divine greatness and omnipotence of the One who came to be baptized in the form of a servant: “Who is a great God like our God? You are God, work miracles. You saw the waters, O God, and you were afraid: the abyss was crushed.”
The usual 90th psalm of the hour is also added. The troparia contain the Lord’s answer to the Baptist to his bewilderment about Christ’s self-abasement and indicate the fulfillment of the Psalmist’s prophecy that the Jordan River stops its waters when the Lord enters it for Baptism. The parimia talks about how the prophet Isaiah contemplates the grace of salvation in the waters of baptism and calls on believers to assimilate it: “Draw up water with joy from the source of fear” (Is. 12).
The Apostle encourages those baptized into Christ Jesus to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-12). The Gospel preaches about the appearance of the Holy Trinity at the Baptism of the Savior, about His forty-day labor in the desert and the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel (Mark 1:9-15). At the 9th hour, in Psalms 92 and 113, the prophet proclaims the royal greatness and omnipotence of the baptized Lord. The third psalm of the hour is the usual 85th. With the words of parimia, the prophet Isaiah depicts the inexpressible mercy of God towards people and the gracious help for them revealed in Baptism (Is. 49: 8-15). The Apostle announces the manifestation of the grace of God, “saving for all men,” and the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers (Tit. 2, 11-14; 3, 4-7). The Gospel tells about the Baptism of the Savior and the Epiphany (Matthew 3:13-17).
Vespers on the day of the Vespers of the holiday
Vespers on the Vespers of the Feast of the Epiphany is similar to what happens on the Vespers of the Nativity of Christ: entrance with the Gospel, reading of parimia, Apostle, Gospel, etc., but the parimia at Vespers of the Epiphany Vigil is read not on 8, but on 13.
After the first three paremias to the troparion and verses of prophecy, the singers chorus: “May you enlighten those who sit in darkness: Lover of mankind, glory to Thee.” After the 6th parimia - the chorus to the troparion and verses: “Where would Your light shine, only on those who sit in darkness, glory to You.”
If on the Eve of Epiphany Vespers is combined with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), then after the reading of the proverbs there follows a small litany with the exclamation: “For art thou holy, our God...”, then the Trisagion and other sequences of the liturgy are sung. At Vespers, performed separately after the liturgy (on Saturday and Sunday), the parimia, the small litany and the exclamation: “For thou art holy...” are followed by the prokeimenon: “The Lord is my enlightenment...”, Apostle (Cor., part 143) and the Gospel (Luke, 9th).
After this - the litany “Rtsem all...” and so on.
Great Blessing of Water
The Church renews the memory of the Jordan event with a special rite of the great consecration of water. On the Eve of the holiday, the great consecration of water occurs after the prayer behind the pulpit (if the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is being celebrated). And if Vespers is celebrated separately, without connection with the liturgy, the consecration of the water occurs at the end of Vespers, after the exclamation: “Be the power...”. The priest, through the royal doors, while singing the troparia “The Voice of the Lord on the Waters...” comes out to the vessels filled with water, carrying the Honorable Cross on his head, and the consecration of the water begins.
The blessing of water also takes place on the holiday itself after the liturgy (also after the prayer behind the pulpit).
The Orthodox Church has been performing the great consecration of water on Vespers and on the holiday itself since ancient times, and the grace of consecrating water on these two days is always the same. At the Forever, the consecration of water was performed in remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, which sanctified the watery nature, as well as the baptism of the orphans, which in ancient times was performed at the Forever of Epiphany (Lent. Apost., book 5, chapter 13; historians: Theodoret, Nicephorus Callistus). On the holiday itself, the consecration of water occurs in memory of the actual event of the Baptism of the Savior. The blessing of water on the holiday itself began in the Jerusalem Church in the 4th - 5th centuries. took place only in it alone, where there was a custom of going out to the Jordan River for the blessing of water in memory of the Baptism of the Savior. Therefore, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the blessing of water on Vecherie is performed in churches, and on the holiday itself it is usually performed on rivers, springs and wells (the so-called “Walk to the Jordan”), for Christ was baptized outside the temple.
The great consecration of water began in the early times of Christianity, following the example of the Lord Himself, who sanctified the waters by His immersion in them and established the sacrament of Baptism, in which the consecration of water has been taking place since ancient times. The rite of blessing of water is attributed to the Evangelist Matthew. Several prayers for this rite were written by St. Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople. The final execution of the rite is attributed to St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. The blessing of water on the holiday is already mentioned by the teacher of the Church Tertullian and St. Cyprian of Carthage. The Apostolic Decrees also contain prayers said during the blessing of water. So, in the book. The 8th says: “The priest will call on the Lord and say: “And now sanctify this water, and give it grace and strength.”
St. Basil the Great writes: “According to what scripture do we bless the water of baptism? - From Apostolic tradition, by succession in secret" (91st canon).
In the second half of the 10th century, Patriarch of Antioch Peter Foulon introduced the custom of consecrating water not at midnight, but on the Eve of Epiphany. In the Russian Church, the Moscow Council of 1667 decided to perform double blessing of water - on Vespers and on the very feast of Epiphany and condemned Patriarch Nikon, who prohibited double blessing of water. The sequence of the great consecration of water both at Vespers and on the holiday itself is the same and in some parts is similar to the sequence of the small consecration of water. It consists of remembering the prophecies relating to the event of Baptism (parimia), the event itself (the Apostle and the Gospel) and its meaning (litany and prayers), invoking the blessing of God on the waters and immersing the Life-giving Cross of the Lord in them three times.
In practice, the rite of water blessing is performed as follows. After the prayer behind the pulpit (at the end of the liturgy) or the petitionary litany: “Let us perform the evening prayer” (at the end of Vespers), the rector is in full vestments (as during the liturgy), and the other priests are only in the epitrachelion, shoulder straps, and the rector is carrying the Holy Cross on an uncovered chapter (usually the Cross is placed in the air). At the site of the blessing of water, the Cross is placed on a decorated table, on which there should be a bowl of water and three candles. During the singing of troparions, the rector and the deacon cense the water prepared for consecration (around the table three times), and if the water is consecrated in the church, then the altar, clergy, singers and people also cense.
At the end of the singing of the troparions, the deacon exclaims: “Wisdom,” and three parimia are read (from the book of the prophet Isaiah), which depict the gracious fruits of the Lord’s coming to earth and the spiritual joy of all who turn to the Lord and partake of the life-giving sources of salvation. Then the prokeimenon “The Lord is my enlightenment...” is sung, the Apostle and the Gospel are read. The Apostolic Reading (Cor., section 143) speaks of persons and events that in the Old Testament, during the wanderings of the Jews in the desert, were a prototype of Christ the Savior (the mysterious baptism of the Jews into Moses among the clouds and the sea, their spiritual food in desert and drinking from the spiritual stone, which was Christ). The Gospel (Mark, part 2) tells about the Baptism of the Lord.
After reading the Holy Scriptures, the deacon pronounces the great litany with special petitions. They contain prayers for the sanctification of water by the power and action of the Holy Trinity, for sending down the blessing of the Jordan on the water and giving it grace for the healing of mental and physical infirmities, for driving away all slander of visible and invisible enemies, for the sanctification of houses and for all benefits.
During the litany, the rector secretly reads a prayer for the purification and sanctification of himself: “Lord Jesus Christ...” (without exclamation). At the end of the litany, the priest (rector) loudly reads the consecration prayer: “Great art thou, O Lord, and wonderful are thy works...” (three times) and so on. In this prayer, the Church begs the Lord to come and sanctify the water so that it will receive the grace of deliverance, the blessing of the Jordan, so that it will be a source of incorruption, the resolution of ailments, the cleansing of souls and bodies, the sanctification of houses and “a good deal of all good.” In the middle of the prayer, the priest exclaims three times: “You Yourself, O Lover of Mankind, come now through the influx of Your Holy Spirit and consecrate this water,” and at the same time each time he blesses the water with his hand, but does not immerse his fingers in the water, as happens in the sacrament of Baptism. At the end of the prayer, the abbot immediately blesses the water crosswise with the Honorable Cross, holding it with both hands and immersing it three times straight (lowering it into the water and raising it), and with each immersion of the Cross he sings the troparion with the clergy (three times): “I am baptized in the Jordan, O Lord...”
After this, while the troparion is repeatedly sung by the singers, the abbot with the Cross in his left hand sprinkles a cross in all directions, and also sprinkles the temple with holy water.
Glorification of the holiday
On Vecherye, after the dismissal of Vespers or Liturgy, a lamp (not a lectern with an icon) is placed in the middle of the church, before which the clergy and choristers sing the troparion and (on “Glory, and now”) the kontakion of the holiday. The candle here means the light of Christ’s teaching, Divine enlightenment given at the Epiphany.
After this, the worshipers venerate the Cross, and the priest sprinkles each with holy water.
The Baptism of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ is one of the most important Christian holidays. On this day, Christians around the world remember the gospel event - the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
The Savior was baptized by the prophet John the Baptist, who is also called the Baptist.The second name, Epiphany, was given to the holiday in memory of the miracle that occurred during baptism. The Holy Spirit descended from heaven on Christ in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven called him Son. Evangelist Luke writes about this: The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying: You are My Beloved Son; My favor is in You!(Matt. 3:14-17). This is how the Holy Trinity was revealed in visible and accessible images to humans: the voice - God the Father, the dove - God the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ - God the Son. And it was testified that Jesus is not only the Son of Man, but also the Son of God. God appeared to people.
twelfth holiday. The twelfths are holidays that are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). Epiphany is the Lord's holiday.When is the Epiphany celebrated?
The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany on January 19 according to the new style (January 6 according to the old style).
The Feast of the Epiphany has 4 days of pre-celebration and 8 days of post-celebration. Forefeast - one or several days before a major holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, after-feasts are the same days after the holiday.
The celebration of the holiday takes place on January 27 according to the new style. The celebration of the holiday is the last day of some important Orthodox holidays, celebrated with a special service, more solemn than on ordinary days of post-feast.
Events of the Epiphany
After fasting and wanderings in the desert, the prophet John the Baptist came to the Jordan River, in which the Jews traditionally performed religious ablutions. Here he began to talk to the people about repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and to baptize people in the waters. This was not the Sacrament of Baptism as we know it now, but it was its prototype.
The people believed the prophecies of John the Baptist, many were baptized in the Jordan. And then, one day, Jesus Christ himself came to the banks of the river. At that time He was thirty years old. The Savior asked John to baptize Him. The Prophet was surprised to the core and said: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Christ assured him that “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” During baptism, the sky opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying: You are My Beloved Son; My favor is in You!(Luke 3:21-22).
The Baptism of the Lord was the first appearance of Christ to the people of Israel. It was after Epiphany that the first disciples followed the Teacher - the apostles Andrew, Simon (Peter), Philip, Nathanael.
In the two Gospels - Matthew and Luke - we read that after Baptism the Savior withdrew into the desert, where he fasted for forty days in order to prepare for his mission among people. He was tempted by the devil and did not eat anything during these days, and after they were over, he finally became hungry (Luke 4:2). The devil approached Christ three times and tempted Him, but the Savior remained strong and rejected the evil one (as the devil is called).
What can you eat on Epiphany?
There is no fasting on the feast of Epiphany. But on Epiphany Eve, that is, on the eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians observe strict fasting. The traditional dish of this day is sochivo, which is prepared from cereals (for example, wheat or rice), honey and raisins.
Epiphany of the Lord - the history of the holiday
The Epiphany of the Lord began to be celebrated even when the apostles were alive - we find mention of this day in the Apostolic Decrees and Rules. But at first, Epiphany and Christmas were a single holiday, and it was called Epiphany.
Starting from the end of the 4th century (in different places in different ways), the Epiphany of the Lord became a separate holiday. But even now we can observe echoes of the unity of Christmas and Epiphany - in worship. For example, both holidays have a Eve - Christmas Eve, with strict fasting and special traditions.
In the first centuries of Christianity, converts were baptized on Epiphany (they were called catechumens), so this day was often called the “day of Enlightenment”, “feast of Lights”, or “holy Lights” - as a sign that the Sacrament of Baptism cleanses a person from sin and enlightens with the Light of Christ . Even then there was a tradition to bless water in reservoirs on this day.
Iconography of the Baptism of the Lord
In early Christian images of the events of the Baptism of the Lord, the Savior appears before us young and without a beard; later He began to be portrayed as an adult man.
Since the 6th-7th centuries, images of angels have appeared on icons of Baptism - most often there are three of them and they stand on the opposite bank of the Jordan from the prophet John the Baptist. In memory of the miracle of Epiphany, an island of sky is depicted above Christ standing in the water, from which a dove in rays of light descends to the Baptized One - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
The central figures on all the icons of the holiday are Christ and John the Baptist, who places his right hand (right hand) on the head of the Savior. The right hand of Christ is raised in a blessing gesture.
Features of the Epiphany service
Clergy on holiday Epiphany dressed in white robes. The main feature of the Epiphany service is the blessing of water. The water is blessed twice. The day before, January 18, Epiphany Eve - the Rite of the Great Blessing of Water, which is also called the Great Agiasma. And the second time - on the day of Epiphany, January 19, at the Divine Liturgy.
The first tradition most likely dates back to the ancient Christian practice of baptizing catechumens after the morning service of Epiphany. And the second is connected with the custom of Palestinian Christians to march on the day of Epiphany to the Jordan to the traditional place of the baptism of Jesus Christ.
Epiphany Prayers
Troparion of the Baptism of the Lord
voice 1st
In the Jordan I am baptized to You, Lord, Trinitarian adoration appeared: for the voice of the Parents testified to You, naming Your beloved Son, and the Spirit in the form of a dove, the affirmation known to Your words. Appear, O Christ God, and enlighten the world, glory to Thee.
When You, Lord, were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Most Holy Trinity appeared, for the voice of the Father testified about You, calling You the beloved Son, and the Spirit, appearing in the form of a dove, confirmed the truth of this word. Christ God, who appeared and enlightened the world, glory to You!
Kontakion of the Baptism of the Lord
voice 4th
Thou hast appeared this day to the universe, and Thy light, O Lord, has appeared upon us, in the minds of those who sing Thee: thou hast come and appeared, the unapproachable Light.
You have now appeared to the whole world; and Your light, Lord, is imprinted on us, consciously chanting You: “You have come and appeared, Unapproachable Light!”
The Greatness of the Baptism of the Lord
We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, for our sake now baptized in the flesh by John in the waters of the Jordan.
We glorify You, Christ, Giver of life, because You have now been baptized in the flesh by John in the waters of the Jordan for us.
Epiphany Cathedral in Elohovo
The Epiphany Cathedral is located in Moscow, on Spartakovskaya Street, 15, not far from the Baumanskaya metro station. In the XIV-XVII centuries the village of Eloh was located here.
In the second half of the 15th century, the famous Moscow saint, St. Basil the Blessed, was born in the parish of the local Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.
At that time, the Epiphany Cathedral was an ordinary rural church. In 1712-1731 it was rebuilt in stone, bricks were donated personally by Emperor Peter I. The new building was consecrated in 1731.
At the end of the 18th century, the Pushkin family became parishioners of the Epiphany Church. It is known that the great poet was born in the German settlement and was baptized in the old Epiphany Cathedral in 1799. The successors were the grandmother, Olga Sergeevna, nee Chicherina, and Count Vorontsov, the grandson of the minister Artemy Volynsky, who was martyred under Biron.
The old Peter's Cathedral stood until the middle of the 19th century. In the 1830s, the famous Moscow architect Evgraf Tyurin received an order for its reconstruction. The renovated cathedral was consecrated in 1853.
During the years of Soviet power, the temple was not closed. On the Feast of the Presentation in 1925, the solemn Liturgy was served there by His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. In 1935, the Baumansky district council decided to open a large cinema in the Epiphany Cathedral, but the decision was soon reversed.
And a few more facts from the history of the temple. In the Epiphany Cathedral rest the relics of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, and are buried His Holiness Patriarch Sergius of Moscow and All Rus' and His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'. In 1992, the Epiphany Cathedral became a cathedral.
Shrines of the cathedral: the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the relics of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” particles of the relics of St. John Chrysostom, Apostle Andrew the First-Called and St. Peter of Moscow.
Folk traditions of Epiphany
Every church holiday is reflected in folk traditions. And the richer and more ancient the history of a people, the more complex and interesting the intertwining of folk and church is obtained. Many customs are far from true Christianity and close to paganism, but they are nevertheless interesting from a historical point of view - in order to get to know the people better, in order to be able to separate the essence of this or that holiday of Christ from the colorful stream of folk imagination.
In Rus', Epiphany was the end of Christmastide, girls stopped fortune telling - a purely pagan activity. Ordinary people were preparing for the holiday, which, it was believed, would cleanse them of sins, including the sins of Christmas fortune-telling.
At Epiphany, a great blessing of water was performed. And twice. The first one is on Epiphany Christmas Eve. The water was blessed in the font, which stood in the center of the temple. The second time the water was blessed on the feast of Epiphany itself - in any local body of water: river, lake, well. A “Jordan” was cut into the ice - an ice hole in the form of a cross or a circle. Nearby they placed a lectern and a wooden cross with an ice dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
On the day of Epiphany, after the liturgy, people walked to the ice hole in a procession of the cross. The priest served a prayer service and lowered the cross into the hole three times, asking for God's blessing on the water. After this, all the villagers collected holy water from the ice hole and cheerfully poured it over each other. Some daredevils even bathed in ice water in order, according to popular belief, to cleanse themselves of sins. It should be noted that this belief has nothing to do with the teachings of the Church. Swimming in an ice hole (Jordan) is not a church sacrament or rite, it is precisely a folk tradition of celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord
Not only rural reservoirs were blessed, but also rivers in big cities. For example, here is a story about how water was blessed in Moscow on the Neglinnaya River on January 6, 1699. Emperor Peter I himself took part in the ceremony. And the Swedish envoy to Moscow, Gustav Korb, described the event:
“The Feast of the Three Kings (Magi), or rather, the Epiphany of the Lord, was marked by the blessing of the Neglinnaya River. The procession moved to the river in the following order. The procession was opened by the regiment of General de Gordon... Gordon's regiment was replaced by another, called Preobrazhensky, which attracted attention with new green clothes. The captain's place was occupied by the king, whose tall stature inspired respect for his Majesty. ...A fence (theatrum, Jordan) was built on the solid ice of the river. Five hundred ecclesiastics, subdeacons, deacons, priests, abbates, bishops and archbishops, dressed in the vestments appropriate to their rank and office and richly adorned with gold, silver, pearls and precious stones, gave the religious ceremony a more majestic appearance. In front of the wonderful golden cross, twelve clerics carried a lantern in which three candles burned. An incredible number of people crowded from all sides, the streets were full, the rooftops were occupied by people; spectators also stood on the city walls, huddled closely together. As soon as the clergy filled the vast space of the fence, the sacred ceremony began, many candles were lit, and first of all the invocation of the grace of God followed. After duly invoking the mercy of God, the Metropolitan began to walk around the entire fence with censing, in the middle of which the ice was broken with an ice pick in the form of a well, so that water was discovered. After censing her three times, the Metropolitan consecrated her by immersing a burning candle three times and the usual blessing. ...Then the patriarch, or in his absence the metropolitan, leaving the fence, usually sprinkles on His Royal Majesty and all the soldiers. To finally complete the festive celebration, a salvo was fired from the guns of all regiments. ...Before the start of this ceremony, a vessel covered with red cloth was brought on six white royal horses. In this vessel the blessed water was then to be taken to the palace of His Royal Majesty. In the same way, the clergy carried a certain vessel for the patriarch and many others for the boyars and Moscow nobles.”
![](https://i0.wp.com/mtdata.ru/u14/photo5F69/20393547737-0/original.jpg)
Holy Epiphany water
Water is blessed twice on Epiphany. The day before, January 18, on Epiphany Eve, there was the Rite of the Great Blessing of Water, which is also called the “Great Hagiasma.” And the second time - on the day of Epiphany, January 19, at the Divine Liturgy. The first tradition most likely dates back to the ancient Christian practice of baptizing catechumens after the morning service of Epiphany. And the second is connected with the custom of Christians of the Jerusalem Church to march on the day of Epiphany to the Jordan to the traditional place of the baptism of Jesus Christ.
According to tradition, Epiphany water is stored for a year - until the next Epiphany holiday. They drink it on an empty stomach, reverently and prayerfully.
When to collect Epiphany water?
Water is blessed twice on Epiphany. The day before, January 18, on Epiphany Eve, there was the Rite of the Great Blessing of Water, which is also called the “Great Hagiasma.” And the second time - on the day of Epiphany, January 19, at the Divine Liturgy. When to bless the water is completely unimportant.
Is all the water for Epiphany holy?
Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church at MGIMO, answers:
I remember when I was a child, we left the church for Epiphany and took with us a three-liter can of Epiphany water, and then, at home, we diluted it with tap water. And all year they accepted the water as a great shrine - with reverence.
On the night of the Epiphany of the Lord, indeed, as Tradition says, all aquatic nature is sanctified. And it becomes like the waters of the Jordan, in which the Lord was baptized. There would be magic if the water became holy only where the priest consecrated it. The Holy Spirit breathes wherever it wants. And there is an opinion that at any moment of Epiphany, holy water is everywhere. And the blessing of water is a visible, solemn church rite that tells us about the presence of God here on earth.
Epiphany frosts
The time of the Epiphany holiday in Rus' usually coincided with severe frosts, so they began to be called “Epiphany”. People said: “The frost is crackling, not crackling, but Vodokreshchi has passed.”
Swimming in an ice hole (Jordan) for Epiphany
In Rus', ordinary people called Epiphany “Vodokreshchi” or “Jordan”. Jordan is an ice hole in the shape of a cross or a circle, cut in any body of water and consecrated on the day of the Epiphany. After the consecration, the brave boys and men plunged and even swam in the icy water; It was believed that this way one could wash away one’s sins. But this is just a popular superstition. The Church teaches us that sins are washed away only by repentance through the sacrament of Confession. And swimming is just a tradition. And here, firstly, it is important to understand that this tradition is completely optional. Secondly, one should remember the reverent attitude towards the shrine - Epiphany water. That is, if we nevertheless decide to swim, we must do it wisely (taking into account our state of health) and reverently - with prayer. And, of course, not replacing swimming as a substitute for attending a festive service in church.
Epiphany Christmas Eve
The Feast of Epiphany is preceded by Epiphany Eve, or the Everlasting Epiphany. On the eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians observe strict fasting. The traditional dish of this day is sochivo, which is prepared from cereals (for example, wheat or rice), honey and raisins.
Sochivo
To prepare sochiva you will need:
Wheat (grain) – 200 g
- peeled nuts – 30 g
- poppy seed – 150 g
- raisins – 50 g
- fruits or berries (apple, blackberry, raspberry, etc.) or jam - to taste
- vanilla sugar - to taste
- honey and sugar - to taste
- cream – 1/2 cup.
Wash the wheat well, add hot water, covering the grain, and cook in a saucepan over low heat until soft (or in a clay pot, in the oven), periodically adding hot water. Rinse the poppy seeds, steam with hot water for 2-3 hours, drain the water, grind the poppy seeds, add sugar, honey, vanilla sugar or any jam, chopped nuts, raisins, fruits or berries to taste, add 1/2 cup of cream or milk or boiled water, and combine all this with boiled wheat, place in a ceramic bowl and serve chilled.
Poem about Baptism
What kinds of life-giving and what kind of terrible waters there are... At the beginning of the Book of Genesis, we read about how the breath of God hovered over the waters and how all living beings arose from these waters. Throughout the life of all mankind - but so clearly in the Old Testament - we see water as a way of life: they preserve the life of the thirsty in the desert, they revive the field and forest, they are a sign of the life and mercy of God, and in the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments of water represent an image of cleansing, washing, renewal.
But what terrible waters there are: the waters of the Flood, in which everyone who could no longer resist the judgment of God perished; and the waters that we see throughout our lives, terrible, destructive, dark flood waters...
And so Christ came to the Jordanian waters; into these waters no longer of a sinless land, but of our land, defiled to its very depths by human sin and betrayal. People who repented according to the preaching of John the Baptist came to these waters to wash themselves; how heavy these waters were with the sin of the people who washed themselves with them! If only we could see how the waters washing these gradually became heavier and became terrible with this sin! And Christ came to plunge into these waters at the beginning of His feat of preaching and gradual ascension to the Cross, to plunge into these waters bearing the entire burden of human sin - He, the sinless one.
This moment of the Baptism of the Lord is one of the most terrible and tragic moments of His life. Christmas is the moment when God, out of His love for man, wants to save us from eternal destruction, puts on human flesh, when human flesh is permeated by the Divine, when it is renewed, becomes eternal, pure, radiant, that flesh which through the Cross, Resurrection , the Ascension will sit at the right hand of God and the Father. But on the day of the Baptism of the Lord, this preparatory path ends: now, the Lord, already matured in His humanity, having reached the full measure of His maturity, the Man Jesus Christ, united by perfect love and perfect obedience with the will of the Father, goes with his free will, freely to fulfill what the Eternal Council has ordained . Now the Man Jesus Christ brings this flesh as a sacrifice and as a gift not only to God, but to all humanity, takes on His shoulders all the horror of human sin, human fall, and plunges into these waters, which are now the waters of death, the image of destruction, they carry within themselves all evil, all poison and all sinful death.
The Baptism of the Lord, in the further development of events, most closely resembles the horror of the Garden of Gethsemane, the excommunication of death on the cross and the descent into hell. Here, too, Christ is so united with human fate that all its horror falls on Him, and the descent into hell is the final measure of His unity with us, the loss of everything - and victory over evil.
That is why this majestic holiday is so tragic, and that is why the waters of the Jordan, bearing all the heaviness and all the horror of sin, by touching the body of Christ, the sinless, all-pure, immortal body, permeated and shining with Divinity, the body of the God-man, are purified to the depths and again become primary, primeval waters of life, capable of cleansing and washing away sin, renewing a person, returning him to incorruption, communing him with the Cross, making him a child no longer of the flesh, but of eternal life, the Kingdom of God.
How exciting this holiday is! That is why, when we consecrate the waters on this day, we look at them with such amazement and awe: these waters, by the descent of the Holy Spirit, become the waters of the Jordan, not only the primeval waters of life, but waters capable of giving life not only temporary, but also eternal; that is why we partake of these waters reverently, reverently; That’s why the Church calls them a great shrine and calls on us to have them in our homes in case of illness, in case of spiritual sorrow, in case of sin, for cleansing and renewal, for introduction to the newness of purified life. Let us taste these waters, let us touch them reverently. Through these waters, the renewal of nature, the sanctification of creation, and the transformation of the world began. Just as in the Holy Gifts, and here we see the beginning of the next century, the victory of God and the beginning of eternal life, eternal glory - not only of man, but of all nature, when God becomes all in all.
Glory to God for His infinite mercy, for His Divine condescension, for the feat of the Son of God, who became the Son of man! Glory to God that He renews both man and our destinies, and the world in which we live, and that we can still live with the hope of an already won victory and the rejoicing that we are waiting for the great, wondrous, terrible day of the Lord , when the whole world will shine with the grace of the received, and not just given, Holy Spirit! Amen.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Sermon on Epiphany
With what a feeling of reverence for Christ and gratitude to our relatives who lead us to faith, we remember our Baptism: how wonderful it is to think that since our parents or people close to us discovered faith in Christ, vouched for us before the Church and before God, we , By the Sacrament of Baptism, we became Christ’s, we are called by His name. We bear this name with the same reverence and amazement as a young bride bears the name of the man whom she loved for life and death and who gave her his name; How we cherish this human name! How dear it is to us, how sacred it is to us, how terrible it would be for us to act, to give it up for blasphemy to ill-wishers... And this is how we unite with Christ, Christ the Savior, our God, who became Man, gives us to bear His name. And just as on earth they judge the whole race that bears the same name by our actions, so here they judge Christ by our actions, by our lives.
What a responsibility this is! The Apostle Paul almost two thousand years ago warned the young Christian Church that for the sake of those who live unworthy of their calling, the name of Christ is blasphemed. Isn't that the case now? Aren’t there millions of people all over the world now who would like to find the meaning of life, joy, depth in God, moving away from Him, looking at us, seeing that we, alas, are not a living image of the gospel life - neither personally nor as a society? ?
And on the day of the Baptism of the Lord, I would like to say before God on my own behalf and call on everyone to say to those who were given the opportunity to be baptized in the name of Christ: remember that you have now become bearers of this holy and divine name, that God, your Savior, the Savior of all will be judged by you what if your life is my life! - will be worthy of this gift of God, then thousands around will be saved, and if she is unworthy, they will perish: without faith, without hope, without joy and without meaning. Christ came to the Jordan sinless, plunged into these terrible Jordanian waters, which seemed to become heavy, washing away human sin, figuratively becoming like dead waters - He plunged into them and became familiar with our mortality and all the consequences of human fall, sin, humiliation in order to to make us capable of living worthy of our human calling, worthy of God Himself, Who called us to be His relatives, children, to be His family and our own...
Let us respond to this work of God, to this call of God! Let us understand how high, how majestic our dignity is, how great our responsibility is, and let us enter the year that has now already begun in such a way as to be the glory of God and the salvation of every person who touches our lives! Amen.
Saint Theophan the Recluse. Thoughts for every day of the year - Epiphany
Epiphany (Titus 2, 11-14; Z, 4-7; Mt Z, 13-17). The Baptism of the Lord is called the Epiphany because in it the one true God, worshiped in the Trinity, revealed Himself so tangibly: God the Father - by a voice from heaven, God the Son - incarnate - by baptism. God the Holy Spirit - by descending on the Baptized One. Here the mystery of the relationship between the persons of the Holy Trinity is revealed. God the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son and does not proceed from Him. It is also revealed here that the incarnate economy of salvation was accomplished by God the Son incarnate, co-inherent with Him the Holy Spirit and God the Father. It has also been revealed that the salvation of everyone can be accomplished no other way than in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, according to the good will of the Father. All Christian sacraments shine here with their divine light and enlighten the minds and hearts of those who celebrate this great celebration with faith. Come, let us mindfully look up to the mountain, and let us immerse ourselves in the contemplation of these mysteries of our salvation, singing: in the Jordan I am baptized to You, O Lord, Triple adoration has appeared, a salvation that arranges for us in a triple way and saves us in a triple way.
Orthodox Christians celebrate on the night of January 18-19 one of the most important and most ancient holidays - Epiphany. They began to celebrate Epiphany even earlier than the Nativity of Christ; written references to it are found in manuscripts of the second century. The history of Baptism is interesting not only for Orthodox Christians, but also for people who want to broaden their horizons.
What meaning does the holiday of Epiphany carry?
The day of the Baptism of Jesus is considered the day when people learn the great mystery of God. It was at the moment of the Baptism of Christ that mere mortals witnessed the appearance of the Holy Trinity: the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Spirit, who appeared in the form of a dove. It turns out that Baptism symbolizes the beginning of the emergence of the Christian religion, the moment from which the worship of God, who ceased to be unknown, began. In the old days, Baptism was called the Holy Lights - this meant that the Lord descended to earth and revealed the Unapproachable Light to the world.
"Baptism" literally means "immersion in water." The wonderful properties of water were spelled out in the Old Testament - water washes away all the bad and gives rise to good things. Water can destroy or revive. In pre-Christian times, washing was used for moral cleansing, and in the New Testament, baptism with water began to symbolize deliverance from sins and the birth of spiritual life.
How Jesus Christ was baptized
According to biblical legends, on January 6, according to the old style, thirty-year-old Jesus Christ came to the Jordan River. At the same time, John the Baptist was there, the prophet who was sent by the Lord God himself to perform such an important rite. John knew that he would have to baptize the son of God, but for a long time he did not dare to begin the sacrament, considering himself unworthy to perform such an important task. Jesus insisted on doing the will of God the Father and entered the waters of the Jordan.
When John began to baptize God the Son, the loud voice of the Father was heard over the earth, and the Spirit of God descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. So God the Father appeared to people and pointed them to his son, who was destined to become the Savior. After Baptism, Jesus began to fulfill the will of God and bring new light to the world.
How Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany
The great feast of Epiphany is preceded by Epiphany Eve - a strict one-day fast that falls on January 18. During this short fast, you are allowed to eat only lean flatbreads made with hemp oil, popularly called sochen and kutya. On the eve of the holiday, the house must be thoroughly cleaned, excess garbage must be thrown out, and corners must be cleaned.
The main event of Baptism is the consecration of water in all churches. On this day, water acquires miraculous powers; it heals the body from diseases and cleanses the soul. Christians use Epiphany water to treat illnesses, cleanse their homes, and protect against troubles and evil forces. Every corner of the house must be sprinkled with water brought from the temple, and it is given to the sick and children to drink. Surprisingly, Epiphany water retains its properties for exactly a year. All this time it does not deteriorate or go rotten.
Epiphany bathing in open reservoirs is another holiday tradition that was revived in Russia after the disappearance of communist foundations. It is believed that during immersion in water, all earthly sins and illnesses are washed away. Washing on the feast of Epiphany makes it possible for a sinful person to be born again and appear before God in a renewed form. Traditionally, believers immerse themselves in water three times, symbolizing the death of Christ and participation in his resurrection. In reservoirs covered with January ice, ice holes are cut in the shape of crosses; such baths are usually called “Jordan”.
Many delicious treats made from meat, honey and cereals are prepared for the holiday. The main dishes on the Epiphany table were crosses made from sweet dough, pancakes and baked pig. Before the meal, they always ate cross cookies and washed them down with blessed water. After that, we feasted on pancakes with honey, and then tasted all the available dishes. It is believed that the heavens open on Epiphany, so all sincere prayers are sure to come true.
Pre-Christian traditions
The Feast of Epiphany coincides with the end of Christmastide - folk festivities dating back to pagan times. The evening of January 18 is the last day when you are allowed to guess the future. Fortune telling has always been of particular interest to young girls interested in marriage. On the night of Epiphany, it is still customary to look into future events, but you need to know that the church does not approve of this and Epiphany fortune-telling has no direct connection with the church holiday of Epiphany.
- How to attract luck and money: life and magic Light five candles put a horseshoe
- Russian male names starting with the letters g, d Non-Russian names starting with d
- Zhuangzi aphorisms, sayings, quotes - wise thoughts - Zhuangzi "Accidents are not accidental" - who actually said this phrase
- Feast of the Epiphany