Baptism of the Lord what date c. When and how can you swim at Epiphany. Rituals on a festive night

The Baptism of the Lord on January 19, 2017 is celebrated by Orthodox believers around the world. Where is Epiphany in Moscow, where to swim and a list of places to swim in Epiphany 2017 in the capital - read in the Topnews review.

Epiphany 2017: what date

On January 19, 2017, Orthodox believers will celebrate one of the most important church holidays - the Baptism of the Lord, established in honor of the biblical event - the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. It was then that the Holy Spirit descended on the Savior in the form of a dove.

After the rite of baptism, Jesus Christ gave a person who fell in sin the opportunity to receive grace. Since then, there has been a belief that any person who has passed through baptism receives the forgiveness of sins. intcbatch and are reborn to new life.

When does Heaven open for Baptism in 2017?

According to legend, on the night of January 19, Heaven opens, and all prayers to God will be answered that night. Before making a wish, it is recommended to put a bowl of water on the table and say: "At night, the water itself sways." It is believed that if exactly at midnight the water in the bowl really moves, then you should look at the "opened Heaven" and sincerely ask God for the most cherished.

Baptism 2017: traditions and customs

Christmas Eve before Epiphany completes the period of Christmas time and is considered a time of rampant evil spirits, so on the eve of the holiday, believers drew a cross with charcoal or chalk on the doors in houses and buildings.

It is worth remembering that the celebration of Epiphany is preceded by a strict fast. On this day in Rus', housewives cooked sochivo - a traditional lean porridge, as well as vegetable pancakes, honey pancakes, kutya from rice, raisins, and honey. On Christmas Eve, compotes were cooked and tea was brewed.

Swimming in the hole for Epiphany 2017

On the night of January 18-19, 2017, believers make a religious procession to a hole cut in the shape of a cross or a circle in the river - "Jordan". There, the servants of the Church conduct a rite of consecration, and after collecting holy water in dishes, everyone begins to bathe in baptismal water. According to legend, dipping three times in such water relieves sins, although according to researchers, this tradition is not at all a church tradition, so Orthodox believers do not have to participate in bathing.

Also, doctors do not recommend dipping into the hole for people with heart disease, a heart attack, or suffering from stage II and III hypertension. You should not swim in the hole and those who have been ill or suffer from tuberculosis, bronchial asthma and a number of other ailments.

Where to swim at Epiphany in Moscow 2017?

In Moscow, 59 bathing places will operate and 10 fonts will be installed on Epiphany. About 140 thousand people are expected to visit them. According to the state inspector for small boats in Moscow, Vladimir Volkov, bathing at Epiphany in Moscow will begin on January 18, 2017 at 18.00, and will end before 12.00 on the 19th. At the same time, in the event of a large influx of people wishing to swim in icy water, the work schedule will be extended.

According to weather forecasts, the weather for Epiphany in Moscow is unlikely to drop below minus 10 degrees Celsius. At the same time, rescuers advise not to spend more than a minute in the hole, otherwise you can get hypothermia.

“Last year, some Muscovites overestimated their capabilities, because of vasospasm they became ill. But in general, then there were no serious incidents,” Volkov said.

List of places for swimming in Epiphany 2017 in Moscow PHOTO: EMERCOM of the Russian Federation in Moscow

We add that on the night of Epiphany on January 19, 2017, more than 770 employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as about 1.6 thousand police officers and 61 medical teams will be on duty in Moscow.

Epiphany is one of the most anticipated and beloved church holidays in Russia. Having a thousand-year history, it has come down to us unchanged sacred meaning this holy day. Every true believer is waiting for it as an opportunity to get even closer to God's grace and feel unity with the Lord. This is the twelfth church holiday, otherwise called the Epiphany, the date of which remains unchanged. So, Epiphany in 2017, as well as in all other years, falls on January 19, Thursday.

The History of Baptism and Its Religious Meaning

The Feast of Epiphany is a reminder that more than 2,000 years ago, the Savior was baptized in the waters of the sacred Jordan River. This became for him a kind of agreement with the mission entrusted to him and the beginning of such a difficult path. Now Baptism is associated with spiritual cleansing, which can also be felt on a physical level - plunging into the consecrated baptismal water. Thus, true believers bring themselves closer to Grace, prepare themselves for a meeting with God, wash away many sins from themselves, which even an ordinary person has no number of.

Since then, the tradition has gone to plunge into the hole, called the Jordan. In Russia, the Jordan is cut through the ice in the shape of a cross, and the ice cross itself is placed next to the font. Thrice immersion in water means the death of Christ for the sins of mankind, and the exit from the water is his resurrection to eternal life. By the way, the church does not necessarily require every believer to bathe in Jordan. This is done by those who feel a spiritual need for it. Therefore, having learned what date Baptism is in 2017, do not treat this date formally, this day is extremely important for the Orthodox believer.

Bright joy and purity of heart - how to prepare for Baptism

But there is nothing better on the feast of Epiphany than humble prayers, reconciliation with loved ones, peace of mind and bright joy. And, on the contrary, on this day, in no case should you:

• to quarrel and scandal, to be offended,
• remember the name of the Lord in vain,
• wash (this defiles the water),
• to lend things or money.

They say that on this day the sky is closer than ever, and every sincere prayer sent to the Lord from the heart will surely reach it, and the wish made, if it is pure and selfless, will come true.

However, if you wish to swim at Baptism in the hole, you must do this with a pure heart, full of thoughts about God, and before each of the 3 immersions in the water, say "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen." Only true Orthodox who have passed the rites of confession and communion in the temple are allowed to swim in Jordan.

Interestingly, after the festive service at Epiphany, white doves are released into the sky above the church as a physical symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit. After all, at the time of the baptism of Christ, John the Baptist had an appearance precisely in the form of a white dove hovering over Jesus. And then he heard the divine confirmation that before him was the Messiah, the Son of God, through whom the whole world and mankind would be saved.

Time for baptismal bathing

Swimming in the hole for baptism 2017 can be arranged right after the evening service already on the 18th - on the day of Epiphany Eve. However, it has traditionally happened that the bulk of believers plunge into Jordan on the day of Epiphany itself. Epiphany Christmas Eve is extremely important for believers. They complete Christmas time, on this day they observe a strict fast, including rice or barley kutya, buckwheat pancakes, oatmeal jelly on the menu. It is not forbidden to eat honey, nuts, and fried fish.

IN ancient Rus' the owner of the house, having visited the evening service, returning home, depicted a cross over each door in the dwelling, after which the family members were allowed to go to the baptismal font.

sacred water power

IN Orthodox tradition all baptismal water, from where it would not have been received, is considered endowed special qualities. It heals physical ailments, gives peace of mind, drives away evil. The water consecrated in the church on this day can be stored for a whole year without losing its freshness. It does not form a precipitate, a musty smell, and just one drop of baptismal water can endow tens of liters of ordinary water with its miraculous properties. Epiphany water is drunk in small sips after morning prayer, decorate housing, wash it. They keep a vessel with this water near the icons. It must be drunk before the next Epiphany.

Epiphany signs, customs, divination

Like many Orthodox holidays, Baptism is closely intertwined with pagan rites and beliefs. Let us recall at least the fortune-telling of unmarried girls, in order to find out their fate.

It is significant that for such rituals it is required to remove the pectoral cross, and this already symbolizes the connection with the otherworldly and mystical, which is not welcomed by the church.

But among the people, such fortune-telling is not considered something sinful, baptismal rites have become too widespread and popular over a long history. We were looking forward to the Epiphany evening with special impatience. unmarried girls wanting to know for sure whether they will be able to meet their betrothed soon and what kind of family life awaits them. What they didn’t do: they threw a shoe over the threshold, and eavesdropped on the silence at the church in order to try to hear the wedding choir and tell fortunes by the mirror with candles ... You can’t list everything. Among other things, dreams were considered prophetic at Baptism. What you see will soon happen. And to wash away the traces of sin that were imposed on themselves by everyone who was engaged in divination that evening, it was obligatory to swim in an ice hole or font.

Also, many beliefs and signs have been preserved regarding both determining the weather and prosperity in the house, family relations. Peasants have long been looking at what the weather will be like on Epiphany, it depended on what kind of harvest to expect:

• A hard frost heralded a fertile year,
• sunny weather to dry summer,
• an ice-hole full of water - the spring flood will be large,
• strong barking of dogs - to hunting luck, there will be a lot of game.

It was believed that the agreement on the wedding, concluded on this day, is the key to a happy family life. Acquaintance with a new person promised a long and true friendship, sanctified by God. Meeting on the street with someone dressed in red promises a passionate mutual love. The broken dishes that day speak of the same. If you baptize someone on this day, then happiness and good luck will accompany him all his life. Women removed snow from stacks at Epiphany and bleached canvases with it, and unmarried girls rubbed this snow into their faces, hoping to find unprecedented beauty.

Having learned from our review what date Epiphany will be celebrated in the upcoming 2017, you have a chance to prepare properly for this bright day. Rethink many of your actions and your life position. Think about whether everything is so in your environment, whether you are fair in relation to close and dear people, and even to yourself. It is on the feast of Epiphany that we all get a wonderful opportunity to change for the better both ourselves and the course of our entire lives. Our faith, the life-giving power of sacred water and the help of the Lord, which is always with us, will help us.

We met the New Year 2017, the next holiday we have is Christmas, as always, on January 7, and the following holidays follow it - the 14th old New Year(by the way, for Christians, the New Year is just the right one, which comes after the Nativity of Christ, and not vice versa!), And the Circumcision of the Lord, and then Baptism 2017: what date? Yes, as usual - January 19! This is a holiday that is stable in its date, belongs to the twelfth holidays, and completes the festive New Year's Christmas time.

Baptism, Epiphany - a brief history of occurrence

Many people know that there is Christmas, there is Epiphany, that you need to collect holy water and swim in the hole. And what and how - they did not delve into at all, and they have no idea. Superstitions such as - bought in the hole and all sins are forgiven, the water of baptism from the three churches only to gain, so that there is strength; on the second day the water is stronger than on the first; and other signs and superstitions that have nothing true. Let's first look into history - what kind of holiday is this - Epiphany, how did it arise?

When Jesus Christ was 30 years old, He went to the Jordan River, where at that time the prophet John was baptizing people with water, and told him to baptize Him too. John was greatly embarrassed, because he knew who had come to him, and he asked Christ in embarrassment: should I baptize you, who is not worthy to tie the straps on your sandals? But Jesus said that let the Scriptures be fulfilled, and John agreed to baptize him. At this time, a miracle happened - the heavens opened up, and a thunderous voice sounded from there: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased!” And the Holy Spirit descended on the shoulder of Jesus in the form of a white dove. Thus God showed the unity of the Holy Trinity in relation to the incarnate Son of God.

The waters of the Jordan, it must be said, were very heavy and dirty from the sins of the people who were baptized in them and cleansed from sins. But the Lord, having entered this water, cleansed and sanctified it with His purity and holiness. Also on Epiphany every year they bless water in rivers and lakes, and people collect it in vessels and use it throughout the year. Water, if you have taken it a little, you can dilute it with ordinary water, because they say that a drop of consecrated water illuminates all the water into which it has fallen. So, you don’t need to drag hefty buckets with you from the temple or from the hole, it’s enough to take water in the church, consecrated on Christmas Eve in the temple and, bringing it home, dilute it.

Epiphany water should be used with reverence - in the morning on an empty stomach a little, like a shrine, for healing, cleansing from sins, with prayer. But if you really need it, you can drink holy water with prayer at any time. This water sanctifies dwellings, food and so on.

When to collect baptismal water

There is a belief that water can only be collected on the first, or on the second day of baptism, or in three churches - this is only folk omens and delusions. Water is sanctified in the same way on Christmas Eve and on the day of Epiphany, and it is not at all necessary to collect it in different churches, one is enough.
Earlier, even initially, the first Christians 2000 years ago and Epiphany together, then in the 4th century these holidays were separated, but they still remained connected by Christmas time, which lasts from Christmas to Epiphany.

When can you swim in the hole

I must say that swimming in the hole does not automatically free from sins, as some ignorant individuals believe. They don’t go to church, they don’t go to confession, they don’t take communion, they lead a sinful life, and they think that it’s worth plunging into baptismal water 3 times, and that’s all - there are no sins, he came out clean like a baby! This is not true. on Baptism you need to go to the temple, attend the service, come to confession and communion, and then, having received the blessing of the priest, you can go into the hole - if health allows. Then water will really help cleansing from sins.

Professor of theology Osipov says - if a person, having prayed, after the service, with faith wants to plunge into the consecrated reservoir, this will benefit him. And if this is just a tribute to tradition, when often drunken men, and even with obscenities, jump into the water, and then come out of the water and pour half a liter into themselves - what grace is there, it’s a shame!

What can you eat for baptism

Lent has already ended on Christmas, but on the very day before Epiphany, that is, on Christmas Eve (January 18) - a strict fast, you can’t eat anything until the water is consecrated, then you can drink holy water and already with clear conscience eat food. On Christmas Eve they also eat as before Christmas.

Folk traditions for baptism

Church holidays are reflected in folk signs and traditions, they are often intertwined with the pagan roots of our people, seasoned with the violent imagination of people, and after a while it happens that everything is already, like in the game “broken phone”, everything has moved away from truth and reinterpreted.

It used to be like this: the great water blessing was performed twice - on Christmas Eve in the temple, in a large font. And already on the second day, on the holiday itself - in the nearest reservoir. After the service, people went in procession to the reservoir, where the priests cut through the ice "Jordan" - a cruciform hole. The priest at this place served a prayer service, the cross fell into the hole three times, and the water was sanctified by the will of God. People joyfully began to draw water from the hole, pour water over each other, congratulate each other on the holiday, and the strongest even jumped into the hole and bathed in it.

Is water blessed everywhere on Epiphany night?

Again, there is a belief that Epiphany night all waters are sanctified on the whole earth by the grace of God. It's like this, and it's not. Here is how the professor of theology Osipov explains this:

God's grace is not a faceless element. God always looks at the power of faith and the capabilities of believers. If people have the opportunity to be present at the service, pray during the blessing of water, or at least come and take the blessed water, but they do not use this opportunity, they say “let’s get it from the tap - it will be holy”, they do not receive holy water . Another thing is when it is not possible to receive blessed water, as, for example, it was during the time of persecution of the Church, when many believers, not being able to receive water blessed in the temple, went to the river or a spring at midnight and drew water there. Such water was really holy, it stood for years and did not deteriorate.

To be worthy of the name of Christ

In conclusion, I would like to say that all of us, Christians, must live in such a way as not to disgrace the name of Christ, because we are His children. Indeed, other religions and denominations judge our way of life and behavior, and they form an opinion, let's not dishonor Him holy name— this is how Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh spoke at his sermon. Having entered the new year, we will live in such a way that thousands around us are saved, and not vice versa, fall away in sins.

Father Alexander Men proposed to divide the Nativity fast into four decades. And in the fourth - from December 28 to January 6, he invited everyone to think: what have I done for the Lord? What can I bring him as a gift, just as the Magi brought gifts. To answer the question: Does my life please Christ and myself? To do something for those in need as a token of the Christmas gift to Christ, try to reconcile with everyone with whom he was in a quarrel, call and congratulate those whom he forgot. In a word - to do in the last week of the Advent fast everything that is customary to do on New Year's days.

Discussion: 5 comments

Somehow I was going to swim with the men for a test and could not, probably not everyone is given. Not enough spirit and that's it. Although in the monastery I swam at +4 degrees in the water.

The Feast of Epiphany has ancient roots, in the time of the apostles it was called "Epiphany" or "Feast of Lights". The first means the Epiphany, and the second - the illumination of the world with the Light of Inaccessible, baptism - immersion in water. As you know, water can have both a vital force and a destructive one - floods, tsunamis. Baptism 2017 is expected with impatience and hope for healing with water, which on this day has truly beneficial properties.

What date is Baptism?

Among true believers, Epiphany is the main holiday, surpassing even Christmas, since on this day the human soul is reborn and finds its true purpose. Epiphany 2017, what date will be celebrated? - January 19, this is an enduring date, it is timed to coincide with the day of the baptism of Jesus in the waters of the Jordan River. People who gathered by the river more than two thousand years ago witnessed the ceremony conducted by John the Baptist. The Baptist announced that Christ, by his dipping, sanctified the water and the whole Earth, and twofold grace descended on humanity - the purification of the body and soul.

The celebration of this event begins at midnight with an evening solemn service in all Orthodox churches, after its completion, it is the turn of the consecration of water. At first, the action takes place directly in the church, then the procession goes to an open reservoir. If on this day the river is covered with ice, an ice-hole is cut down in it in advance - Jordan in the form of a cross. The priest dips a silver cross into the wormwood three times, accompanying his actions with a prayer. After consecration, parishioners draw water, and use it for a whole year in medicinal purposes. This liquid should be sprinkled on all households, sprinkled on the corners in the rooms in order to expel the lurking there evil spirit. Many people draw water directly from the taps, it really does not deteriorate and remains transparent for a whole year.

Bathing at Epiphany

Proven for centuries healing property Epiphany water experienced by many believers and non-believers. After the consecration of reservoirs, people dive headlong into the hole, plunge into ice water, sacredly believing in its blessed power. And indeed, there was no case that someone got sick after swimming. Epiphany 2017, the date of which falls on severe frosts in many regions of Russia, as in previous years, will attract a large number of thrill seekers. But everyone should not rush into the pool - some serious illnesses exclude such a procedure, you should still consult with your doctor. But bathing in the shower at home will not harm anyone, because it is believed that the blessed water on January 19 comes even from the taps. Church ministers assure that the magical properties of water have a beneficial effect on health, but do not cleanse from sins that are released only at confession. Therefore, for spiritual cleansing, one should still go to church and repent.

Christmas and Epiphany divination

Many young girls look forward to Epiphany. Indeed, on the eve of the holiday, January 18, it is customary to guess that the fortune-telling on Christmas Eve, allegedly, will certainly come true. This day should be spent in prayer and strict observance of fasting, only juicy is allowed - porridge with dry fruits, honey, nuts - hence the name Christmas Eve. And in the evening, the girls get together to find out what is destined for them by fate for the near future and the rest of their lives:

• they guessed on candles, burnt paper, coffee grounds - these attributes were supposed to show the outlines of the narrowed one, you had to strain your mind to see a human image in them;
• fortune-telling for "yes" and "no" - leave the house, stand with your back to him, make a wish, then turn around and count the burning windows. If an even number glows, the wish will certainly come true;
• on water - can only be used when severe frosts. Take out a bowl of water in the hallway or on an open balcony, and in the morning see what it has turned into. If the ice reared up - it would be good, it froze smoothly - there would be a calm year, it went in waves - happiness and grief would alternate, a hole - wait for a bad event;
• fortune-telling for the groom - eat salty at night, think before going to bed: "Narrowed, mummers, come to me and give me a drink." The one who appears will be the chosen one.

There are many other fortune-telling - this is a matter of fantasy, the main thing is not to miss the date of Epiphany 2017. They also guess on the holiday itself, Christmas Eve, Epiphany and Christmas time, before Christmas - the most suitable days for this.

Signs and beliefs on Baptism

From time immemorial, people have observed nature, its changes, recorded and passed on from generation to generation. Baptism - the holiday of 2017 is no exception, folk signs and beliefs have survived to this day:

• after Epiphany, the cold begins to lose ground - winter has subsided;
• warm weather promises warm;
• a full month - there will be a plentiful flood;
• starry night - to a warm and dry summer, a good harvest;
• loud and prolonged barking of dogs - to a plentiful and satisfying table;
• snow promises a good harvest of honey and bread.

The Baptism of the Lord 2017 is a holiday that opens the way for all those who are thirsty to know the great divine triune power - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And baptism is a sacred act that helps to purify the soul and body.

Epiphany 2017 is a church holiday, which from time immemorial symbolizes not only the physical. But also moral cleansing. Probably everyone knows that the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River was the first appearance of the Trinity to the world - Epiphany. It is in the process of such washing with water, that is, baptism, that a person is adopted by the Lord, gets rid of the old and unnecessary burden, burden, and is clothed in everything new and clean. In other words, there is a purification of the soul and body, a person seems to be born again, feeling a powerful and new surge of vitality and energy.

What date?

According to church canons and rules, Orthodox Christians celebrate such a holiday as Epiphany every year on January 19th.

But, as for the Catholics, they celebrate it a little earlier - on January 6th. It is worth noting that more than 2,000 years ago, only adults and conscious people who voluntarily, without coercion, expressed a desire to pack and cleanse the body and soul.

The main traditions of the holiday.

Like any other church holiday, Epiphany was also accompanied by its own customs and traditions, which had a certain significance and value.

• Firstly, on the eve of the holiday, it was necessary to fast for several days, and in the evening with the family to celebrate “Hungry Kutya” or Holy Evening, which in its importance and significance is in no way inferior to Christmas Eve. In the evening, on the festive table, there should be dishes such as kutya made from rice, millet or barley, dumplings with cabbage, Fried fish, buckwheat lean pancakes and oatmeal jelly.
• Secondly, a special service is held in the church on a holiday.
• Thirdly, doves must be released into the sky. After all, it is he who symbolizes and means the Spirit of God, who descended to us from Heaven to Christ the Savior in bodily form.
• Fourthly, in a river or any other body of water, a hole in the form of a cross was necessarily cut out, and a carved ice cross was installed next to it. The clergy overshadowed the hole with a cross and read prayers.
• Fifthly, plunging into the water, you need to cross yourself three times and plunge completely with your head, pronouncing "In the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." It is the threefold immersion that symbolizes and signifies the death of Jesus. But, remember that bathing on this day and night in illuminated water should not become mandatory for everyone, since this is a voluntary and personal matter for everyone.

When to swim on the 18th or 19th?

But, if you all have the courage and determination to swim on this day, and, as you know, this time is famous for its strong and severe frosts, then you need to correctly decide when, nevertheless, it is right to plunge into the water - on the 18th or 19th. Answering this question, we can say and highlight the following facts. The entire main liturgy is performed, as a rule, on the 19th, and according to church rules, washing should be carried out only at the end of the service. Although, in most churches, the liturgy is held at night, after which the priest illuminates the water in the hole, that is, on the night of 18 to 19 people bathe in the reservoirs. In other words, there are several opinions, but what is the best date to stick to and what does the church itself say about this? According to the church, bathing is not a canonical setting, but simply has grown into a tradition that every year joins the ranks of those who want to swim and try their hand. Therefore, we can conclude that the number when the bathing will be complete does not play any role at all - whether it will be 18, on the night of 18 to 19, or the morning of the 19th. After all, everyone chooses the time when it is convenient for him.

When to collect water?

When is it right to draw already illuminated water so that it is really useful and whether it has any properties and miraculous remedies at all. As a rule, it is customary to celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord on the morning of January 19, which means that you also need to go to church in the morning, where you can also get water. Although, water can also be collected on the 18th, on the day that is commonly called and considered Epiphany Christmas Eve. After all, on this day in the church is performed holiday service and prayers. Agree, the water will be equally illuminated on the 18th and 19th, so everyone picks up when it is more convenient for him and there is time.

Many people ask the question - what is this water for? First of all, upon arrival from the church, you need to consecrate your entire house with it and be sure to let all family members take a few sips. You need to store this water for no more than a year and then in a dark place. In the event that for some reason you cannot go to church, then you should not be too upset, since the whole ceremony can be carried out at home. How to do it? Everything is simple, it draws simple, ordinary water from the tap, preferably between 00:10 and 01:30 and takes it out into the street, put it on the ground, without covering the container with anything. Many believe that water can be taken out into the street and later. This is how you can sanctify the water.

Baptism 2017 combines in its concept two very important and significant events, symbolizing nothing more than the end of holy days and evenings. Knowledge of the traditions and customs of church holidays helps a person become a little closer to God, purifying his soul and body before him.