Friday, January 18, 2013

About 47,000 Celebrate Epiphany in Moscow; Bathe in Icy Waters to Honor Baptism of Jesus

Some 47,000 people in Moscow bathed in icy cold water on Epiphany early this morning (January 19, 2013), as air temperatures in the Russian capital stood at 8 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the RIA Novosti (Russian) website.

Epiphany -- also known as Theophany -- is one of the Great Feasts, marking the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany on January 19 in line with the Julian calendar.

Honoring a Russian tradition, cross-shaped holes are cut in ice over lakes and rivers, and celebrators plunge into the water -- typically three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity -- around midnight, usually after an attending Orthodox priest says a prayer.

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