Epiphany swimming in an ice hole: traditions. Swimming in an ice hole for Epiphany: how to do it right? Swim for baptism
The tradition of bathing on Epiphany dates back to 988. However, before plunging into an ice hole for the first time, you must follow the advice of doctors, otherwise you may experience serious problems with health.
The rite of blessing of water can only be performed by a priest. So, he reads the appropriate prayers and immerses the cross in water three times. At swimming ponds, an ice hole is made in advance, the so-called Jordan. Usually, all bodies of water - rivers, ponds, lakes - are consecrated directly on January 19 after the liturgy. Epiphany water is a kind of shrine that is used for healing and to strengthen spiritual strength.
On January 18, believers celebrate Epiphany Eve. In all churches in the evening you can attend the ceremony of blessing water. If you believe the church canons, a person needs to come to church, stand for the service, light a candle and dial blessed water. Nobody forces you to plunge into it completely, especially if people are not ready for it. The diving hole is made in the shape of a cross.
In populated areas, Jordans are specially made in places of mass bathing of believers. There are no strict rules about how to bathe at Epiphany. Usually a person plunges his head into water three times. During this process people cross themselves and say the phrase: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!” In Rus' it is believed that bathing leads to healing from various diseases.
Water is a living matter that can change its structure under the influence of information. Therefore, it is believed that with what thoughts a person approaches it, that is what he will receive.
According to experts, when you plunge your head into ice water, the central nervous part of the brain instantly awakens and the entire body is healed. In addition, short-term action low temperatures perceived as positive stress. Thus, pain, spasm, inflammation, and swelling disappear.
The human body is enveloped in air, the thermal conductivity of which is 28 times less than that of water. This is the focus of hardening. During a short run in the snow barefoot, for example, to an ice hole, only 10% of the body cools down.
Cold water helps to release the deep power of the body; upon contact with it, the temperature reaches 40 degrees. At such rates, viruses, diseased cells and microbes die.
According to experts, regular winter swimming heals the body, but a single dive into an ice hole causes severe stress for him.
Before swimming, a person needs to warm up the body by jogging or warming up. It is necessary to approach the ice hole in non-slip shoes; they must be easy to remove and comfortable. This is done to prevent loss of sensation in the legs. It is recommended to wear boots and wool socks for the hike. Sometimes people buy special rubber slippers that will protect their feet from stones and salt and prevent them from slipping on ice. When going to the ice hole, you need to be attentive and concentrated.
Experts advise making sure that the stairs leading into the water are stable. For additional insurance, you need to lower the edge of a strong, thick rope with knots into the water, with the help of which you can later easily get out of the water.
It is recommended to plunge into water up to your neck. To avoid reflex constriction of the blood vessels in the brain, you should never dive head first. This rule must also be observed because the loss of temperature increases, which can lead to shock.
When entering the water for the first time, you should quickly reach required depth. It must be remembered that ice water causes rapid breathing.
It is advisable to stay in the ice hole for no more than 1 minute to avoid hypothermia. Getting out of a pond is not as easy as it seems. So, you need to hold on to the handrails; climbing out in a vertical position can be difficult and dangerous, since there is a risk of falling back into the pond.
After swimming, you need to rub yourself with a terry towel and put on dry clothes. To strengthen the immune system, doctors advise drinking hot tea from a thermos.
Doctors prohibit those people who suffer from acute and chronic diseases from plunging into the ice hole at Epiphany. These include inflammatory formations of the nasopharynx, otitis media, diseases of the cardiovascular system, consequences of severe injuries, epilepsy, cerebral vascular sclerosis, diabetes, problems with the organs of vision and breathing.
One of the traditions at Epiphany is swimming in an ice hole. It is believed that water on Epiphany Christmas Eve, January 18, acquires healing properties. As a rule, on Epiphany Christmas Eve special illumination of the ice hole is carried out. For Epiphany, the pond is made in the shape of a cross and it is called “Jordan”, after the name of the river in which Jesus Christ was baptized.
Epiphany water is a shrine for Orthodox believers. They drink it to heal illnesses and strengthen physical and mental strength. Not everyone can decide to swim in an ice hole on Epiphany - not everyone can withstand the frost and icy water. If you decide to swim in an ice hole on Epiphany on January 18-19, then we suggest that you first familiarize yourself with the recommendations and rules for performing this ritual.
Rules for swimming in an ice hole for Epiphany
Swimming in an ice hole is a three-time immersion in water with your head. During the process, the believer is baptized and says the words: “In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit!”
- Doctors recommend prepares in advance for diving into the ice hole. It is better to prepare your body a few days in advance. The preparation will be dousing with cold water and other methods of hardening. However, those who perform this ritual every year claim that no special preparation is required, since human body adapted to experience frequent exposure to cold. All you need is the right attitude.
- At the consecrated ice hole It is recommended to cool down gradually: first take off your outerwear, then your shoes, then everything else.
- Before swimming in the ice hole for Epiphany It is important to prepare the necessary clothing for diving and the things you will wear after the ceremony. It is best to dive into the ice hole in comfortable clothes, which can be easily removed. This could be a swimsuit, swimming trunks or a shirt. Prepare dry and warm clothes in advance that will keep you warm after immersion in cold water. Don't forget about a terry towel.
- Two hours before diving It is recommended to eat a hearty meal, since cold water will quickly burn all your resources, and you will need “fuel” in the form of kilocalories.
- Before swimming It’s better to rub yourself with a rich cream or olive oil.
- Z Enter the water gradually. Not too fast, but not slow either.
- Before diving do not drink alcohol. It is also strictly not recommended to drink alcohol after diving. Alcohol will only enhance the effect of hypothermia and put extra stress on the heart and blood vessels.
- After immersion in water, you should rub with a dry towel, put on dry clothes and drink hot tea.
- Diving into an ice hole for Epiphany not recommended for people with medical conditions and those who have recently suffered from illness. People with an unstable nervous system, people who have had the flu, ARVI, cancer patients, people with diseases of the cardiovascular system, impaired kidney function, diabetics and those who suffer from skin and venereal diseases should refrain from this ritual.
Those believers who, for some reason, cannot plunge into the ice hole at Epiphany, as a rule, collect consecrated water in a church or at springs. And don’t forget that the main thing is faith. Water is an information entity that has strong energy any day of the year. And on the night of Epiphany he acquires healing power thanks to faith. Talk to water, ask it to cleanse you of everything unnecessary, old and bad. Enter the hole only when good mood and in great health. We wish you good luck and don't forget to click and
MENSBY
4.6
The most common questions about bathing at Epiphany and recommendations from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. When to swim for Epiphany? Is it necessary to swim at Epiphany? Where did the tradition of swimming in a cold ice hole on Epiphany come from? What do you need to know about the Baptism of the Lord? How easy is it to endure swimming in an ice hole?
You can swim only in places specially equipped for Epiphany bathing and rituals, which must be fenced.
Despite the favorable emotional mood, diving into the ice hole must be approached thoughtfully and carefully. After all, swimming in ice water without special preparation and hardening can cause complications. With high blood pressure, the risk of vascular spasm, and even a micro-stroke, increases, and if the pressure is low, convulsions and the danger of losing consciousness in the water.
You don’t need to drink alcohol before diving into water; alcohol will only help you quickly become hypothermic and put extra strain on your heart.
Cool down gradually: first take off your outerwear, after a few minutes - your shoes, then undress to the waist, and only then go into the water.
Before bathing, rub your body with any rich cream or olive oil.
Stay in the water for no longer than two minutes.
Afterwards, rub yourself with a terry towel and hurry to warm room where you can drink hot tea.
Bathing in the font before its consecration by a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church;
Swimming without representatives of rescue services and medical workers;
Bathing children without parental or adult supervision;
Take a running dive into the water;
Pollute and clog the font;
Bring dogs and other animals with you;
Leave paper, glass and other debris on the ice, in wardrobes and locker rooms;
Raise false alarms;
Approach the font by vehicle;
We remind residents that during the Epiphany bathing period it is necessary to be careful when going out on the ice; it is dangerous to go out to the ice hole in a crowd; the ice may cause different thickness and you need to be on it with extreme caution.
At the first signs of destruction of the ice cover, you must remain calm, do not panic, quickly but carefully lie down on the ice and crawl to a safe place.
If you do find yourself in the water, keep yourself from diving headfirst, spread your arms wide, and do not pull yourself up over the edge of the ice. - holding on to it with your hands, you must carefully put one foot on the ice, then the other, and then slowly crawl away or roll away from the dangerous place.
When helping someone who has fallen through the ice, hand him a belt, scarf, stick, and other available items, carefully, trying not to fall through the ice in the place where you are.
Strict adherence to safety rules will allow you to avoid casualties.
We also note that to avoid emergency situations The organizers of ice holes are given recommendations for equipping places for Epiphany bathing, namely:
An ice hole is cut down on the ice at a distance of no more than 20-25 meters from the shore;
The depth should not exceed 1.5 meters;
The ice hole inside should be fenced with a chain-link mesh;
A ladder and two wooden stairs on two opposite sides for people to enter and exit the ice hole;
What happens to the human body when it comes into contact with cold water? For example, when swimming in an ice hole in winter?
Many doctors say that:
1. Immersing your head in ice water, the water instantly awakens the central nervous part of the brain, and the brain heals the body.
2. Short-term exposure to low and ultra-low temperatures is perceived by the body as positive stress: it relieves inflammation, pain, swelling, spasm.
3. Our body is enveloped in air, the thermal conductivity of which is 28 times less than the thermal conductivity of water. This is the trick of cold water hardening. And during a short run in the snow (for example, to an ice hole and back), only 10% of the body surface is cooled.
4. Cold water releases the deep forces of the body; the body temperature after contact with it reaches 40º, at which viruses, microbes and diseased cells die.
However, do not forget about the contraindications for swimming in an ice hole:
Winter swimming is contraindicated for people with the following acute and chronic (in the acute stage) diseases:
Inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, paranasal cavities, otitis;
Cardiovascular system (congenital and acquired heart valve defects, ischemic disease hearts with angina attacks; previous myocardial infarction, coronary-cardiosclerosis, hypertension stages II and III);
Central nervous system(epilepsy, consequences of severe skull injuries; cerebral vascular sclerosis in an advanced stage, syringomyelia; encephalitis, arachnoiditis);
Peripheral nervous system (neuritis, polyneuritis);
Endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis);
Visual organs (glaucoma, conjunctivitis);
Respiratory organs (pulmonary tuberculosis - active and in the stage of complications, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, eczema).
Genitourinary system (nephritis, cystitis, inflammation of the appendages, inflammation of the prostate gland);
Gastrointestinal tract (peptic ulcer, enterocolitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis);
Skin and venereal diseases.
And finally, we note that to swim in an ice hole you must firmly believe that it will cleanse the body and soul.
Patriarch Kirill: On this holiday, we are given the opportunity to sensually perceive what the Epiphany actually was.
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 presence at a church service, confession and Communion of the Holy 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 the 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. 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 whole year talk about their “feat”. Did they partake of the grace of our Lord or did they gratify their pride?
An Orthodox person walks calmly 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 gangway, a warm place to undress and dress, 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 icy water. Here we are not talking 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. The flow of blood to the lungs will only increase chronic inflammation of the bronchi, which always accompanies smoking, and can cause swelling of the bronchial wall and pneumonia. Long-term use of alcohol or acute intoxication and warm water constantly lead to misfortunes, let alone swimming in an ice hole. The arterial vessels of an alcoholic or a domestic drunkard, even if he is relatively young, are not able to respond 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 in large Orthodox holidays There is a religious upsurge in 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 the search for thrills, we miss the main essence of the holiday of 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
Epiphany - Bathing at Epiphany is a relatively new tradition. Neither in historical literature about 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 has no one to swim in cold water does not force.
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:
Spiritual meaning- in the blessing of water, and 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 cleansing power of the 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 say Great rank. 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, procession, 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 - cold water invigorates - but not spiritual health. 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, whether he receives 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 the biography of the righteous Alexy Mechev, 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 on Holy Saturday tens or even hundreds of thousands of people go to church to bless 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 in the way he knows how, sincerely desiring 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 beginning to celebrate this holiday in a truly Christian way, at least in a few years, 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 involves 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 quite a long way 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?
I’m somehow 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.
The Christmas and New Year holidays, which last from January 7 to January 19, usually end with the most important Christian holiday - Epiphany. AND swimming in an ice hole- not the best important action on this day, although it is an integral part of the celebration, the main thing is the awareness that at this time the Lord Jesus Christ himself was baptized on the Jordan River. Therefore, it is important to visit the temple on January 18 (in the evening) and January 19 (in the morning). 
Attendance at the service is necessary in order to confess and receive communion, as well as take holy water with you.
It is believed that the water in all rivers and reservoirs is sanctified on these days and can retain its healing properties throughout the year.
Since swimming at Epiphany has become an integral tradition of celebrating this church holiday, this should be done carefully so that plunging into the ice hole is as safe and beneficial as possible, especially for those who decided to take such a serious step for the first time this year.
When to swim at Epiphany? This action should be performed on January 18 after evening church service and on the night of January 18 to January 19, as well as during the day of January 19 (access to the ice water plunge pools is open all day).
Swimming in an ice hole: 5 basic rules
How to swim correctly on Epiphany, if the final decision was made to plunge into icy water? Experts talk about several basic rules that are worth remembering and following when entering an ice hole:
1.Quickly enter the water
How faster man immerse your body in an ice hole, the less likely you will be to get hypothermia.
2.Stay in ice water for no more than 20 seconds
If you are diving into an ice hole for the first time, you should remember that you should be in the ice water for at least 10 seconds so that the blood has time to flow to the heart, and then move back. But this should last no longer than 20 seconds.
3.After leaving - do not wipe yourself
Rubbing in the cold after icy water can damage small blood vessels in the skin.
4. Dress quickly enough
Clothing that will be worn after swimming should have minimal amount buttons, fasteners and zippers.
5.Go for a run after the dip
To quickly warm up your body after you leave the ice hole and get dressed, you can go for a run or any simple physical exercise.
How to bathe at Epiphany: common mistakes
Especially for beginners, it will be useful to know what mistakes should not be made when immersing in ice water:
It is also worth remembering that those who have serious illnesses, children under six years of age, and pregnant women should not dive into the ice hole. Temperature changes during immersion can seriously weaken the immune system and cause unpredictable consequences.
There are no church prohibitions on visiting the bathhouse on this holiday. These days, water from any source acquires healing power and is considered sacred throughout the year. 
If you attend steaming procedures on Epiphany, and then plunge into cool water, these actions on such a day will be absolutely appropriate and beneficial for the body.
The main thing is not to drink alcohol before bath procedures and after them, and also adhere to the basic rules of immersion in ice water.
It should also be remembered that Epiphany swimming in an ice hole requires advance preparation! It is not enough to believe in the healing power of water and expect a miracle from God, while neglecting your own health.
Without special training, such a procedure can cause significant harm to the body, which will entail irreversible consequences for overall health.
Diving into an ice hole for Epiphany is an act that not everyone can do. Firstly, frost and icy water are very difficult to withstand, even with psychological point vision, and secondly, some believers are prohibited from doing this for health reasons. How to plunge into an ice hole at Epiphany? This procedure means washing three times, not necessarily with the head. Before this, you must cross yourself and say a prayer, traditionally this is “Our Father.”
Immersion in ice water is very stressful. The adrenal glands react sharply and powerfully to it, releasing into the blood a large dose of potent anti-inflammatory hormones, which are normally released a little at a time. They suppress all inflammatory reactions by simply “suppressing” the immune system, helping to withstand cold, and adapting the body to withstand stress.
If you properly prepare for a dive, a person with average health can easily endure a one-time dive. But if he is even slightly weakened, in three or four days he will have to pay for his courage. According to Boris Skachko, the effect of adrenal hormones continues after the release for a maximum of two days. After this, their deficiency occurs, and the body sharply weakens and becomes sensitive to any infections.
Run before the shower, and after leaving, warm up with tea. And if the thermometer is below ten, it’s better to reschedule the session for next time.
1. Before diving, you should definitely consult a doctor. For people with diabetes, arrhythmia, kidney problems, and women with gynecological diseases, alas, it is better to forget about the ice hole. Hypertensive patients may even have a stroke.
2. A week before diving, it is better to start preparing your body for the cold. For the first 3-4 days, it’s enough to go out onto the balcony for a minute in shorts and a T-shirt. In the remaining days, add cold water dousing. One or two (in the last two days) bowls of cold water will be enough.
3. Also, a week before swimming, you need to exclude citrus fruits, greens, rose hips and other foods rich in vitamin C from your diet. After all, it stimulates the immune system, and it is not necessary to stimulate the immune system more than the act of winter swimming will do: it will be too much, the immune system will drop significantly "
4. Your clothes and shoes should be easy and quick to put on and take off. Dress appropriately. Ideally, clothes should not have fasteners at all, in extreme cases - a zipper. It will be problematic to fasten buttons with fingers that don’t obey after the frost, and even more so to tie shoelaces. You will only waste time standing in the cold. Also, bring a mat. You will stand on it while you dry yourself and change clothes. Don't forget your hat - put it on as soon as you jump out of the water.
5. Not all weather is suitable for swimming. The ideal temperature for beginners is 2 to 5 degrees below zero. You can risk diving into even colder temperatures, but -10 is already a dangerous threshold for a person trying to dive into an ice hole for the first time.
6. The ice hole should be well cleared of ice fragments so that you do not slip and get hurt and to make it easier to get out. It is advisable that it has a ladder or a shallow area for easy exit from the water. Never go swimming alone, in case you need help.
7. Two hours before the dive, you must eat a hearty meal, that is, provide the body with “fuel”. When you find yourself in cold water, your body will begin to frantically spend all its resources on heating and not a single kilocalorie will be superfluous.
8. Enter the water warmed up and gradually. This makes it easier to bear the cold. To warm up before the procedure, you can run, squat, or do active movements for a few minutes. Enter the water slowly, at an average pace: if slowly, you may have time to freeze, but if quickly, you may become frightened, severe stress, pulse and blood pressure rise sharply, and take your breath away. Going up to your knees, rinse your face with water and wash your face. This will also prepare the body for complete immersion.
9. Do not drink alcohol before swimming, otherwise the freezing after going out will be much stronger. In addition, there is a high risk of rupture blood vessels. After diving, you can warm up with a small amount of alcohol (vodka is best), but regular tea is also perfect for warming up.
10. Don’t sit in an icy pool until you get goosebumps. Chills are a sign that the body has begun to become hypothermic. As soon as you feel this, immediately jump out of the water. On average, it is enough to stay in the water for 10 seconds - you will have time to plunge three times, as required by tradition.
Doctors categorically prohibit children from swimming in the cold. Young children, especially infants, have an imperfect thermoregulation system. Frostbite can happen very quickly and parents simply do not have time to notice it. The consequences of such bathing are the most serious: the child may get pneumonia, meningitis, or another disease of the central nervous system.