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How the service is performed on the feast of the baptism of the Lord. Church service: what time does it start and how does it go?

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 kind of holiday is this?

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 Epiphany has been heard since January 1: at Matins of the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, the irmos of the canons of Epiphany are sung on the catavasia: “He has 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) is prescribed by the Church strict fast: eating 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 course. 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 revelation 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 wilderness 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 you are 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 is also performed 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 has similarities with the sequence of the small consecration of water. It consists of remembering the prophecies relating to the event of Baptism (parimia), the event itself (Apostle and Gospel) and its meaning (litany and prayers), invoking the blessing of God on the waters and immersing them three times Life-giving Cross The Lord's.

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 litany of petition: “Let us fulfill evening prayer"(at the end of Vespers) the rector is in full vestments (as during the liturgy), and the other priests are only in epitrachelion, vestments, and the rector is carrying the Honorable Cross on an uncovered head (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 troparia, the deacon proclaims: “Wisdom,” and three parimia are read (from the book of the prophet Isaiah), which depict the blessed fruits of the Lord’s coming to earth and the spiritual joy of all who turn to the Lord and partake of life-giving springs 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 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 the desert and drinking from the spiritual stone, which was Christ). The Gospel (Mark, part 2) tells about the Baptism of the Lord.

After reading Holy Scripture 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 “for all good.” In the middle of the prayer, the priest exclaims three times: “You Yourself, O Lover of Mankind, come now by the influx of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify 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.

Every year on January 19, all Orthodox Christians celebrate the great holiday of Epiphany. It is also called Epiphany. If you honor everything Orthodox traditions and want to feel all the grace of the holiday, then you will be interested to know what time the Epiphany service will begin in 2019. Please note that in every church it begins with Compline on January 18th. But exact time It’s better to clarify it in the temple you are going to.

According to the gospel stories, John, who had previously preached a lot about the coming of the Savior to earth, baptized Christ in the Jordan River. During the ceremony, the sky opened and the Holy Spirit descended on the Messiah. He was in the body of a dove, and a heavenly voice was heard saying that Christ was the son of God. After the sacrament of baptism, Christ, led by the Holy Spirit, withdrew into the desert, where he prepared in solitude to fulfill the mission with which he was sent to earth.

All Orthodox Christians know what date Baptism is expected, because its date does not change. On the evening of the 18th, services begin in all churches. Compline ends with litia, the service moves into Matins. Matins ends with the dismissal of the Orthodox. And only after the completion of the liturgy is the obligatory rite of blessing the water performed.

In temples, people collect holy water in containers they bring with them. However, you don’t have to try to take home a year’s supply of liquid. It is enough to fill a small bottle and then dilute ordinary tap water with this blessed water. Even researchers note that the structure of water changes on the night of the 18th to the 19th, it becomes more orderly.

In temples, water is blessed both on eve of the evening and on the holiday itself. The clergy read a prayer over the ponds and lower the cross into it three times. After this, it is believed that one can immerse oneself in the consecrated fonts. Those who are not ready to plunge into ice water at the Epiphany of Christ in 2019 can simply wash their faces with it.

If you want to perform a personal feat in order to confirm the strength of your faith, and plunge into the “Jordan” carved in the ice, then find out in advance when this needs to be done. In most temples, water is blessed on the morning of January 19; only after this ritual is completed is it worth performing a symbolic ablution with holy water.

It is worth noting that before diving into a body of water, it is better to get a blessing from your confessor. At the same time, the church does not oblige anyone to plunge into icy water. It's just an established tradition. Such a dip symbolizes the beginning of a new spiritual life; it is believed that water helps cleanse a person’s soul from sins.

The date of Epiphany is surrounded by many superstitions. But it is worth remembering that diversity and attempts to find out the future are not welcomed by the church. Also on the day of Epiphany, various signs are popular. For example, a starry night means a dry summer, and a thaw means good harvests. Fog over the water for a good grain year.

Don't forget to congratulate your loved ones on this twelfth holiday. You can tell them these words:

  • may the holy Epiphany water wash away all sorrows and give health;
  • I wish on the day of Baptism to leave all sorrows and adversity;
  • let confession, repentance and ablution in sacred water will bring you closer to the Lord and purify your thoughts;
  • Congratulations on the Baptism of the Savior! May holy water give you health and vigor.

The Orthodox holiday Epiphany is celebrated on January 19. Why is this holiday extremely important for Christians? The thing is that on this day Christians remember the event recorded in the Gospel - the baptism of Christ. This happened in the waters of the Jordan River, where at that time John the Baptist or Baptist was baptizing Jews.

History of the holiday

The Orthodox holiday of the Baptism of the Lord is also called Epiphany as a reminder of the miracle that took place: the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and touched Jesus Christ immediately as he emerged from the water after immersion and a loud voice said: “Behold, this is my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:13). -17).

Thus, during this event, the Holy Trinity appeared to people and it was witnessed that Jesus is the Messiah. That is why this holiday is also called Epiphany, which refers to the twelve, i.e. those celebrations that are designated by Church doctrine as events related to the life of Christ.

The Orthodox Church always celebrates Baptism on January 19th. Julian calendar, and the holiday itself is divided into:

  • 4 days of pre-feast - before the Epiphany, during which liturgies dedicated to the upcoming event are already heard in churches;
  • 8 days of post-feast - days after the great event.

The first celebration of Epiphany began in the first century in the First Apostolic Church. Main idea This holiday is the memory and glorification of the event in which the Son of God appeared in the flesh. However, there is another purpose for the celebration. As is known, in the first centuries many sects arose, which differed in dogmatic principles from true church. And heretics also celebrated Epiphany, but explained this event differently:

  • Ebionites: as the union of the man Jesus with the Divine Christ;
  • Docetes: they did not consider Christ to be half-man and spoke only about His Divine essence;
  • Basilidians: did not believe that Christ was half-god and half-man and taught that the descending dove was God's mind who entered into the common man.

The teachings of the Gnostics, who had only half-truths in their teaching, greatly attracted Christians and their large number turned into heresy. To stop this, Christians decided to celebrate Epiphany, simultaneously explaining in detail what kind of holiday it was and what happened at that time. The Church called this holiday the Epiphany, confirming the dogma that then Christ revealed himself to be God, being originally God, One with the Holy Trinity.

In order to finally destroy the Gnostic heresy regarding Baptism, the Church combined Epiphany and Christmas into a single holiday. It is for this reason that until the 4th century these two holidays were celebrated by believers on the same day - January 6, under common name Epiphanies.

They were first divided into two different celebrations only in the first half of the 5th century by clergy under the leadership of Pope Julius. Christmas began to be celebrated on January 25th Western Church, so that the pagans would turn away from celebrating the birth of the sun (there was such a pagan celebration in honor of the sun god) and begin to cleave to the Church. And Epiphany began to be celebrated a few days later, but since the Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas in a new style - January 6, Epiphany is celebrated on the 19th.

Important! The meaning of Epiphany remains the same - this is the appearance of Christ as God to his people and reunification with the Trinity.

Icon "Baptism of the Lord"

Events

The Feast of Epiphany is dedicated to the events that are set out in the 13th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew - the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River, as it was written by the prophet Isaiah.

John the Baptist taught the people about the coming Messiah, who would baptize them into fire, and also baptized those who wished in the Jordan River, which symbolized their renewal from the old law to the new one that Jesus Christ would bring. He spoke about the necessary repentance, and washing in the Jordan (which the Jews had done before) became a prototype of Baptism, although John did not suspect it at the time.

Jesus Christ began his ministry at that time, He turned 30 years old, and he came to the Jordan to fulfill the words of the prophet and announce to everyone the beginning of His ministry. He asked John to baptize Him too, to which the prophet, very surprised, replied that he was not worthy to take off Christ’s shoes, and He asked him to baptize. John the Baptist already knew then that the Messiah himself was standing before him. Jesus Christ responded to this that they should do everything according to the law so as not to confuse people.

As Christ was immersed in the waters of the river, the sky opened, and a white dove descended on Christ, and everyone nearby heard the voice “Behold my Beloved Son.” Thus, the Holy Trinity appeared to the people in the form of the Holy Spirit (dove), Jesus Christ and the Lord God.

After this, the first apostles followed Jesus, and Christ himself went into the desert to fight temptations.

Traditions on the holiday

The Epiphany service is very similar to the Christmas service, since when the Church adheres to strict fasting until the consecration of the water. In addition, a special liturgy is served.

Other church traditions are also observed - the blessing of water, religious procession to the reservoir, as did the Palestinian Christians who walked in a similar way for baptism to the Jordan River.

Liturgy on the day of Epiphany

As with any other important Christian holiday, a festive liturgy is served in the church, during which the clergy dresses in festive white vestments. Main feature The service becomes the blessing of water, which occurs after the service.

On Christmas Eve, the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is served, after which the font in the church is consecrated. And at Epiphany the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served, after which communion is celebrated and the water is re-blessed and a religious procession to the nearest body of water for consecration.

About other significant Orthodox holidays:

The troparions that are read tell about the division of the Jordan by the prophet Elijah and about the baptism of Jesus Christ all in the same river, and also point to the fact that believers are spiritually renewed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Passages from Scripture are read about the greatness of Christ (Acts, the Gospel of Matthew), the power and authority of the Lord (Psalms 28 and 41, 50, 90), as well as about spiritual rebirth through baptism (the prophet Isaiah).

Bishop's service for Epiphany

Folk traditions

Today Orthodoxy resembles the mixing of two rivers with pure and muddy water: pure is doctrinal Orthodoxy, and muddy is folk, in which there are extremely many admixtures of completely non-church traditions and rituals. This happens because of the rich culture of the Russian people, which is mixed with the theology of the church, and as a result, two lines of traditions are obtained - church and folk.

Important! It’s worth knowing folk traditions, because they can be separated from the true, church ones, and then, knowing the culture of your people is simply a must for everyone.

According to folk traditions, Epiphany marked the end of Christmastide - at this time the girls stopped fortune telling. Scripture prohibits fortune telling and all witchcraft, therefore Christmas fortune telling just a historical fact.

IN Epiphany Christmas Eve the font in the temple was consecrated, and on the 19th the reservoirs were consecrated. After the church service, people walked in procession to the ice hole and, after prayer, plunged into it to wash away all their sins. After the consecration of the ice hole, people collected water from it in containers to take the consecrated water home, and then plunged themselves.

Swimming in an ice hole is purely folk tradition, unconfirmed by the doctrinal teaching of the Orthodox Church.

What to put on the holiday table

Believers do not fast on Epiphany, but do so in advance - on Epiphany Eve, the eve of the holiday. It is on Epiphany Christmas Eve that it is necessary to observe strict fasting and eat only Lenten dishes.

Articles about Orthodox cuisine:

On Epiphany you can put any dishes on the table, but on Christmas Eve only lean dishes, and the presence of sochiva is required - a dish of boiled grains of wheat, mixed with honey and dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, etc.).

Lenten pies are also baked, and washed down with uzvar - dried fruit compote.

Water for Epiphany

Water has a special meaning during the Epiphany holiday. People believe that she becomes pure, sanctified and holy. The Church says that water is an integral part of the holiday, but it can be sanctified by prayer anywhere. The clergy bless the water twice:

  • on Epiphany Eve the font in the church;
  • water brought by people to temples and reservoirs.

The troparion of Epiphany records the necessary consecration of the home with holy water (a church candle is also used for this), but swimming in an ice hole is a purely folk tradition, not obligatory. You can bless and drink water for a whole year, the main thing is to store it in glass containers so that it does not bloom or spoil.

According to Tradition, all water on the night of Epiphany is sanctified and, as it were, acquires the essence of the waters of the Jordan, in which Jesus Christ was baptized. All water is sanctified by the Holy Spirit and is considered holy at this moment.

Advice! It is recommended to drink water during communion along with wine and prosphora, and also drink several sips daily, especially on days of illness. It should be remembered that, like any other object, it is consecrated in the temple and requires respectful treatment.

Is water holy for Epiphany?

The clergy answer this question ambiguously.

Consecrated water, brought to temples or in reservoirs before bathing, according to the Traditions of the elders, is sanctified. Traditions say that on this night the water becomes similar to the water that flowed in the Jordan at the moment when Christ was baptized there. As Scripture says, the Holy Spirit breathes where it wants, so there is an opinion that at Epiphany holy water is given wherever they pray to the Lord, and not just in the place where the priest performed the service.

The process of blessing water itself is a church celebration, telling people about the presence of God on earth.

Epiphany ice hole

Swimming in an ice hole

Previously, in the territory of the Slavic countries, Epiphany was called (and continues to be called) “Vodokhreshchi” or “Jordan”. The Jordan is the name given to the ice hole, which is carved with a cross in the ice of a reservoir and which was consecrated by the clergyman at Epiphany.

Since ancient times, there has been a tradition - immediately after the consecration of an ice hole, to swim in it, because people believed that in this way they could wash away all their sins. But this applies to worldly traditions,

Important! Scripture teaches us that our sins are washed away by the Blood of Christ on the Cross and people can only accept salvation through repentance, and swimming in an icy pond is only a folk tradition.

This is not a sin, but there is no spiritual meaning in this action. But bathing is just a tradition and should be treated accordingly:

  • this is not mandatory;
  • but the execution can be done reverently, because the water was consecrated.

Thus, you can swim in an ice hole, but you must do this with prayer and after the festive service in the Church. After all, the main sanctification occurs through the sinner’s repentance, and not through bathing, so one should not forget about personal relationships with the Lord and visiting the temple.

Watch the video about the Feast of Epiphany

Start time festive service in honor of the event of the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River may vary (the rector of the parish has the right to set the start time of the service). Most often, the service on this day is performed in the likeness of the service of the Nativity of Christ, starting at 11 pm on January 18th. At the same time all-night vigil connects with the central service of the daily circle - the liturgy. In some churches, the vigil service begins at five or six o'clock in the evening, and the liturgy is served for the holiday itself at approximately 9 o'clock in the morning.


The Epiphany service begins with Great Compline, most of the prayers of which are read by the reader. However, in this part of the service, the choir sings the prophetic words of Isaiah that the Savior, “the mighty God and the Ruler,” who will be called Hemanuel (meaning “God with us”), is coming into the world. The chant itself is called after the first words of the prophecy - “God is with us.” Among the festive hymns of Great Compline, it is worth highlighting the troparion and kontakion of the Baptism of the Lord.


Compline turns into litia - part of the service, during which the priest reads a prayer for the blessing of wheat, vegetable oil(oil), wine and bread. At the end of the litia and festive stichera, matins begins, which is sent according to the usual rules of vigil for great Orthodox holidays.


At Matins, after singing the troparion three times and reading, the choir sings the hymn “Praise the name of the Lord,” called polyeleos. The very name “polyeleos” is translated from ancient Greek as “many mercy.” This chant glorifies the great mercies of God towards man. Next, the clergy and choir in a special chant (magnification) glorify the now baptized Christ.


The polyeleos is followed by the reading of the Gospel concept about Christ's acceptance of baptism from the prophet John in the Jordan, a festive canon. At the end of Matins, the choir performs the festive Great Doxology, which is customary to sing according to the rules at all solemn services.


At the end of Matins, the first hour is subtracted. If the liturgy is combined with a vigil, then the first hour is followed by the third and sixth hours, during which the priest at the altar in the altar performs proskomedia, preparing the substance for the sacrament of the Eucharist.


The liturgy on the day of the Epiphany is distinguished by solemnity. At the very beginning, the choir sings short baptismal antiphons, the ancient hymn dedicated to the Savior, “The Only Begotten Son,” and repeats the troparion of Baptism several times (the main hymn of the celebration, reflecting its essence).


Next, the liturgy is performed according to its own order. After the end of the service, believers do not go home, because on the feast of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, water is blessed. Most often, the rite of great blessing of water is performed in a church, but there is a practice after the liturgy to bless water directly at the sources.


After completing the rite of blessing of water, believers take up holy water and go home in peace, spiritually celebrating in honor of the great Christian holiday.

When to swim on Epiphany - January 18 or 19- this question is asked very often on the days of Epiphany and Epiphany.

The most important thing you need to know about the Baptism of the Lord is not when to swim (it is not at all necessary to plunge into an ice hole on this day), but that on this day the Lord Jesus Christ himself was baptized. Therefore, on January 18 in the evening and January 19 in the morning, it is important to be in church for the service, confess, take communion and take holy water, the great agiasma.

They bathe, according to tradition, after the evening service on January 18 and on the night of January 18-19. Access to the fonts is usually open on January 19 throughout the day.

Common questions about bathing at Epiphany

Is it necessary to swim in an ice hole at Epiphany?

Is it necessary to swim at Epiphany? And if there is no frost, will bathing be Epiphany?

In any church holiday, it is necessary to distinguish between its meaning and the traditions that have developed around it. The main thing in the feast of the Epiphany is the Epiphany, the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, the voice of God the Father from heaven “This is my beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit descending on Christ. The main thing for a Christian on this day is to be present at church service, Confession and Communion of Saints Mysteries of Christ, communion Epiphany water.

The established traditions of swimming in cold ice holes are not directly related to the Feast of the Epiphany itself, are not mandatory and, most importantly, do not cleanse a person of sins, which, unfortunately, is discussed a lot in the media.

Such traditions should not be treated as magical rites- The holiday of Epiphany is celebrated by Orthodox Christians in hot Africa, America, and Australia. After all, the palm branches of the feast of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem were replaced by willows in Russia, and the consecration of grapevines on the Transfiguration of the Lord was replaced by the blessing of the apple harvest. Also, on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord, all waters will be sanctified, regardless of their temperature.

Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev

Probably, we should start not with swimming in the Epiphany frosts, but with the most blessed feast of Epiphany. By the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, all water, in all its forms, is sanctified, because for two thousand years the water of the Jordan River, which touched the blessed body of Christ, rose to the heavens millions of times, floated in the clouds and again returned as raindrops to the earth. What is it in - in trees, lakes, rivers, grass? Pieces of her are everywhere. And now the feast of Epiphany is approaching, when the Lord gives us an abundance of consecrated water. A concern awakens in every person: what about me? After all, this is my chance to cleanse myself! Don't miss it! And so people, without hesitation, even with some kind of despair, rush to the ice hole and, having plunged, then talk about their “feat” for a whole year. Did they partake of the grace of our Lord or did they gratify their pride?

Orthodox man walking calm from one church holiday to another, observing fasts, confessing and receiving communion. And he prepares for Epiphany slowly, deciding with his family who, after confession and communion, will be honored to plunge into the Jordan, according to the ancient Russian tradition, and who, due to being a child or indisposed, will wash their face with holy water, or take a bath at a holy spring, or simply take holy water with prayer as a spiritual medicine. Thank God, we have plenty to choose from, and we don’t need to take risks thoughtlessly if a person is weakened by illness. The Jordan is not a Pool of Sheep (see John 5:1-4), and must be approached with caution. An experienced priest will not bless everyone for a bath. He will take care of choosing a place, strengthening the ice, a gangplank, a warm place for undressing and dressing, and the presence of one of the Orthodox medical workers. Here, mass baptism will be appropriate and beneficial.

Another thing is the mass of desperate people who decided, without a blessing or just basic thought, to swim “for company” in ice water. Here we're talking about not about the strength of the spirit, but about the strength of the body. A strong spasm of skin vessels in response to the action of cold water leads to the fact that a mass of blood rushes into internal organs- heart, lungs, brain, stomach, liver, and for people with poor health this can end badly.

The danger especially increases for those who were preparing for “purification” in the ice hole by smoking and alcohol. Blood flow to the lungs will only increase chronic inflammation bronchi, which always accompanies smoking, can cause swelling of the bronchial wall and pneumonia. Long-term use alcohol or acute intoxication and in warm water constantly lead to misfortunes, to say nothing of swimming in an ice hole. Arterial vessels An alcoholic or a domestic drunkard, even if he is relatively young, is not able to react correctly to massive cold exposure; in these cases, paradoxical reactions can be expected, including cardiac and respiratory arrest. With such bad habits and in such a state, it is better not to approach the ice hole.

Archpriest Sergius Vogulkin, rector of the temple in the name of the icon Mother of God“Vsetsaritsa” of the city of Yekaterinburg, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor:

– Explain, after all, why Orthodox person swim in icy water on Epiphany when it’s thirty degrees below zero outside?

Priest Svyatoslav Shevchenko:- We need to differentiate folk customs and church liturgical practice. The Church does not call believers to climb into icy water - everyone decides for themselves individually. But today the custom of plunging into a frosty hole has become something newfangled for non-church people. It is clear that on major Orthodox holidays there is a religious surge among the Russian people - and there is nothing wrong with that. But what is not very good is that people limit themselves to this superficial ablution. Moreover, some seriously believe that by bathing in the Epiphany Jordan, they will wash away all the sins that have accumulated over the year. These are pagan superstitions, and they have nothing in common with church teaching. Sins are forgiven by the priest in the sacrament of Penance. In addition, in search thrills we are missing the main essence of the feast of the Epiphany.

Where did the tradition of diving into an ice hole at Epiphany come from? Is it necessary for every Orthodox Christian to do this? Do priests bathe in ice water? What is the place of this tradition in Christian hierarchy values?

Archpriest Vladimir Vigilyansky, rector of the Church of the Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University:

Faith is not tested by swimming

- at Epiphany - a relatively new tradition. Neither in historical literature O Ancient Rus', I didn’t read in my memoirs about pre-revolutionary Russia that somewhere on Epiphany they cut through the ice and swam. But there is nothing wrong with this tradition itself, you just need to understand that the Church does not force anyone to swim in cold water.

The consecration of water is a reminder that the Lord is everywhere, sanctifying the entire nature of the earth, and the earth was created for man, for life. Without understanding that God is with us everywhere, without spiritual understanding of the feast of Epiphany, Epiphany bathing turns into a sport, a love of extreme sports. It is important to feel the presence of the Trinity, which permeates all natural nature, and to join precisely this presence. And the rest, including bathing in a consecrated spring, is just a relatively new tradition.

I serve in the center of Moscow, far from the water, so swimming is not practiced in our parish. But, for example, I know that in the Trinity Church in Ostankino, which is located near the Ostankino ponds, they consecrate water and wash themselves with it. Those who have been swimming for more than a year should continue to swim. And if a person wants to join this tradition for the first time, I would advise him to think about whether his health allows him, whether he tolerates the cold well. Faith is not tested by bathing.

Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky, rector of the Assumption Church in Krasnogorsk, dean of churches in the Krasnogorsk district:

The spiritual meaning is in the blessing of water, not in bathing

- Today the Church does not prohibit swimming in reservoirs, but before the revolution it had a negative attitude towards it. Father Sergius Bulgakov in his “Handbook for a Clergyman” writes the following:

“...In some places there is a custom of bathing in rivers on this day (especially those who dressed up, told fortunes, etc., bathed during Christmas time, superstitiously attributing to this bath a cleansing power from these sins). Such a custom cannot be justified by the desire to imitate the example of the Savior’s immersion in water, as well as the example of Palestinian pilgrims who bathe in the Jordan River at all times. In the east it is safe for pilgrims, because there is no such cold and such frosts as ours.

The belief in the healing and purifying power of water, consecrated by the Church on the very day of the Savior’s baptism, cannot speak in favor of such a custom, because swimming in winter means demanding a miracle from God or completely neglecting one’s life and health.”

(S. V. Bulgakov, “Handbook for priests and church ministers”, Publishing department of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1993, reprint of the 1913 edition, p. 24, footnote 2)

In my opinion, if you do not associate bathing with pagan beliefs, there is nothing wrong with it. Those who are healthy enough can take a dip, but don’t look for any spiritual meaning in it. Epiphany water has spiritual significance, but you can drink a drop of it, or sprinkle it on yourself, and it is absurd to think that the one who has bathed will necessarily receive more grace than the one who drank a sip. Receiving grace does not depend on this.

Not far from one of the churches of our deanery, in Opalikha, there is a clean pond, I know that the clergy of the temple sanctify the water there. Why not? The Typikon allows this. Of course, at the end of the liturgy or, when Christmas Eve falls on Saturday or Sunday, at the end of Great Vespers. The consecration of water by the Great Rite at other times is permissible in exceptional cases.

For example, it happens that one priest is the rector of three rural churches at once. He cannot serve two liturgies a day. And so the priest serves and blesses the water in one temple, and travels to two others, sometimes tens of kilometers away, to bless the water especially for local residents. Then, of course, let's assume the Great Order. Or in a nursing home, if it is impossible to perform the Epiphany liturgy there, you can also perform the Great Blessing of Water.

If, for example, a pious rich man wants to sanctify the water in his pond, there is nothing wrong with this, but in this case it is necessary to sanctify it with the Lesser Rite.

Well, when, as in Opalikha, after the prayer behind the pulpit there is a procession of the cross, the water in the pond is blessed, and then everyone returns to the temple and finishes the liturgy, church rite is not violated. And whether the priests and parishioners will then plunge into the ice hole is everyone’s personal matter. You just need to approach this wisely.

One of our parishioners is an experienced walrus, she even goes to walrus competitions. Naturally, she enjoys bathing at Epiphany too. But people become walruses by gradually tempering them. If a person is not frost-resistant and often catches colds, it would be unreasonable on his part to climb into an ice hole without preparation. If in this way he wants to be convinced of the power of God, then let him consider whether he is not tempting the Lord by this.

There was a case when an elderly hieromonk - I knew him - decided to pour ten buckets of Epiphany water on himself. During such a dousing, he died - his heart could not stand it. Like any bathing in cold water, Epiphany bathing requires preliminary preparation. Then it can be beneficial to health, but without preparation it can be harmful.

I'm talking about physical health, perhaps mental health - it invigorates cold water, - but not about the spiritual. There is spiritual meaning in the very sacrament of consecration of water, and not in bathing. It is not so important whether a person bathes in the Epiphany ice hole; it is much more important whether he comes to the festive liturgy or the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Naturally, like Orthodox priest, I wish everyone not only to come on this day for Epiphany water, but to pray during the service and, if possible, receive communion. But all of us, Orthodox Christians, must treat people coming with love and understanding, with condescension towards human weakness. If someone comes only for water, it is wrong to tell him that he is this and that and will not receive grace. It’s not for us to judge this.

In my life story, I read how he advised one spiritual daughter, whose husband was an unbeliever, that she should give him prosphora. “Father, he eats it with soup,” she soon complained. "So what? Let it be with soup,” answered Father Alexy. And in the end, that man turned to God.

From this, of course, it does not follow that it is necessary to distribute prosphora to all unbelieving relatives, but the example given shows that God's grace often acts in a way that is incomprehensible to us. Same with water. The man came only for water, but perhaps, through these external actions, without realizing it, he is drawn to God and will eventually come to Him. For now, let us rejoice that he remembers the feast of Epiphany and came to church in the first place.

Archpriest Theodore Borodin, rector of the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian on Maroseyka:

Swimming is just the beginning

The tradition of bathing at Epiphany is a late one. And one should treat it depending on why a person bathes. Let me make an analogy with Easter. Everyone knows that in Holy Saturday tens or even hundreds of thousands of people go to the temple to bless the Easter cakes.

If they really don’t know that this is only a tiny part of the joy that Easter is for a believer, they come to church with reverence and sincerely pray, for them it is still a meeting with the Lord.

If, from year to year, they hear that this is not the most important thing, and the priest, blessing the Easter cakes, each time invites them to come to the night service, to share with everyone the joy of the Risen Lord, explains the meaning of the service, and their communication with the Church still comes down to the blessing of Easter cakes, which is, of course, sad.

The same goes for swimming. If a person completely unfamiliar with church life, plunges into the water with reverence, turning to the Lord as he knows how, sincerely wanting to receive grace. The Lord, of course, will give grace, and this person will have a meeting with God.

I think that when a person sincerely seeks God, sooner or later he will understand that bathing is just the beginning, and it is much more important to be at the all-night vigil and liturgy. If Epiphany bathing serves as a stepping stone to, at least in a few years, beginning to celebrate this holiday in a truly Christian way, such bathing can only be welcomed.

Unfortunately, many people treat it simply as one of the extreme sports. Often the bathing of non-church people is accompanied by obscene jokes and excessive drinking. Just like the once popular wall-to-wall fights, such fun does not bring a person one step closer to the Lord.

But many of those who do not allow themselves any indecency do not come to the service - they usually swim at night and consider that they have already joined the holiday, sleep off, satisfied with themselves - they have proven that they are strong in body and their faith is strong. They proved it to themselves, but this is self-deception.

Of course, it is not necessary to swim at night, you can after the service. Our church is located in the center, there is nowhere to swim nearby, but some parishioners travel to other areas or to the Moscow region. Sometimes they consult with me, I never object if I see that a person is really doing this for the sake of the Lord. But one priest I know, a very good one, plunged into an ice hole for several years in a row and fell ill every time after that. This means that his bathing was displeasing to the Lord, and the Lord admonished him through his illness - now he does not bathe.

I've never swam either. It’s too far for me to travel to the nearest consecrated reservoirs; if I spend half the night on the road and swimming, I won’t be able to confess to the parishioners and serve the liturgy as I should. But sometimes my mother, my children and I doused ourselves with Epiphany water on the street, in the snow. I live outside the city, and after returning from the all-night vigil, the whole family doused themselves. But it’s possible outside the city; in Moscow you won’t be able to do that.

Archpriest Alexy Uminsky, rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly, confessor of the St. Vladimir Orthodox Gymnasium:

And what does Baptism have to do with it?

Somehow I’m not particularly puzzled by the issue of night Epiphany diving. If a person wants to, let him dive; if he doesn’t want to, let him not dive. Just what does diving in an ice hole have to do with the feast of the Epiphany?

For me, these dips are just fun, extreme. Our people love something so unusual. Lately It has become fashionable and popular to dive into an ice hole at Epiphany, then drink vodka, and then tell everyone about your such Russian piety.

This is a Russian tradition, like fist fights on Maslenitsa. It has exactly the same relation to the celebration of Epiphany as fist fights have to the celebration of Forgiveness Resurrection.