Eastern Orthodox believers brave cold for traditional dive
An Orthodox believer plunges into the icy water of Neva river during the traditional Epiphany celebrations in Saint Petersburg, on January 19, 2023. Photo AFP, Olga Maltseva
Eastern Europe
Every year, Eastern Orthodox believers, for example in Russia, celebrate the holiday of Epiphany on January 19. That means they have to dive into open water as the tradition requires.
The holiday of Epiphany is to commemorate the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. As a symbol, religious Russians must dip three times below the surface of rivers, ponds or lakes, which are freezing cold in January, Moscow Times writes.
Most participants jump into the water at midnight, at the end of the 12-day Christmas period celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church, as reported by Euronews.
The threefold dip symbolises the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
According to the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin also participated in the traditional dip. However, it did not release pictures of Putin doing so, as it did in earlier years.
Orthodox Christian churches do not all celebrate the holiday at the same day, Euronews writes. Russia, Ukraine and Serbia plunged into the icy waters on January 19, while Greeks, Bulgarians and Romanians already did so on January 6.
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