Baptism of the Lord traditions and customs of fortune telling. Where to store Epiphany water

One of the most significant days in the Orthodox tradition is the holiday of the Epiphany. Signs and rituals, fortune telling, performed on this day are considered especially truthful. Villagers and city dwellers have been predicting their fate on the night of January 19 for centuries. And the history of Baptism itself goes back to ancient times. Today, this holiday is recognized by all Christian denominations without exception. It is celebrated by Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants.

Epiphany

Christian Epiphany is a holiday that was started by Jesus Christ himself. At the age of 30, he came to the Jordan River in order to wash away his sins. This was the custom in Judea at that time. John the Baptist at first refused to perform the ceremony on Jesus himself, considering himself unworthy of it. However, the Son of God insisted on fulfilling the tradition. Since then, many peoples have accepted baptism with water.

The holiday is called Epiphany because when Jesus emerged from the water after baptism, the heavens opened and the voice of God was heard: “You, my beloved Son! My Blessing is in you." After which the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. Thus, on this day, all three hypostases of God appeared before the people: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In different faiths, Epiphany is celebrated on different days. It is believed that January 6th. The Catholic Church, however, celebrates Epiphany on January 13th. Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany on January 19 - according to the old style, this is January 6. Eastern Christian churches hold solemn services on the 6th according to the new style.

In general, this holiday is actually very significant - the Epiphany of the Lord. Folk signs, rituals of prediction held on January 19 - all this, of course, is nothing more than echoes of old pagan beliefs. They were not approved by Christian clergy, but they were never considered a special sin by the people.

Religious holiday

However, first, let's find out how the Epiphany of the Lord is officially celebrated. Traditions and rituals left over from pagan times are certainly interesting. But we'll talk about them a little later. Yet at the moment, the majority of Russians profess the Christian Orthodox faith.

Since the time of Epiphany, it has been customary to precede the Epiphany with a one-day fast. That is, on January 18 it is not allowed to eat fast food. Traditionally, “hungry” kutya is placed on the festive table gathered on the eve of Epiphany. At this time, the church serves a liturgy, which ends with the first great consecration of water. By 12 o'clock at night, believers gather in the temple for a festive service. The latter usually lasts until the morning.

Then the religious procession begins. All believers, led by priests, walk in a column to the nearest body of water. First, an ice hole in the form of a cross is cut in the ice of this pond or lake, called “Jordan” in honor of the events of the New Testament. Here the priest publicly blesses the water and then conducts a festive prayer service. Next, willing believers plunge into the ice hole, according to tradition, three times.

Epiphany water can be collected at the church. It’s not for nothing that it is consecrated in advance. Sometimes water is collected directly from the ice hole. But more often on the pond, next to the “Jordan”, they simply install vats with a cleaner one. Even tap water is considered holy and healing on the feast of the Epiphany. Epiphany (signs predicting various events on January 19 are often also associated with water) is the day when all lakes and rivers become sanctified. Of course, we cleansed ourselves of negativity at Epiphany and wells. Epiphany water can treat illnesses of family members or, if necessary, pets. In addition, it is sprinkled on the home and outbuildings to remove all negativity. The saint retains its properties for a year, and sometimes longer.

Folk rituals

Of course, they celebrated this holiday - the Epiphany of the Lord - not only in church, but also at home. Signs and rituals held on January 19 could be very different. On this day they learned the name of the betrothed, their fate for the whole year ahead, etc. Of course, the Christian Church did not approve of such rituals. That is why anyone who was engaged in fortune-telling on the eve of Epiphany had to swim in an ice hole in order to wash away the sin of communicating with them. During fortune-telling, which was nothing more than an echo of ancient pagan beliefs, village and city residents were required to take off their a cross on the body, and also untied all the knots on the clothes. Next, let's look at how some of these ancient rituals were carried out in more detail.

How did you find out the name and place of residence of your future husband?

What could one tell fortunes at the Lord's Epiphany? Conspiracies, omens, rituals - there were simply a huge number of them. However, traditionally, the eve of Epiphany was still considered mostly a holiday for young people. And at this time girls and boys were guessing mainly about their future husband or wife. In order to find out the name of the spouse, for example, they went out of the gate and asked the first person they met what his name was.

Fortune telling with a rooster made it possible to find out whether a girl would get married this year or not. The future bride had to wait until everyone in the house fell asleep. Then she slowly brought the rooster into the house and placed it in front of the table. If the bird turned around and ran back into the street, it meant that there would be no wedding that year. If the rooster walked towards the table, it was a very good omen. The fortuneteller could soon expect matchmakers.

In order to find out exactly where they were coming from, you had to go outside the outskirts, take off your felt boots and throw them in front of you. Where his sock pointed, the groom lived. You could also go to the crossroads, outside the village, and wait for the dog to bark. If this sound was heard nearby, then the groom must have been from the same village or from a neighboring one.

Fortune telling

Whether a person will be rich or whether he will face financial problems in the coming year is also something that could be easily found out at Epiphany. ceremonies, which were sometimes carried out by older people, were celebrated at a rather dark and uncertain time. After all, the old year has already passed, and the new one has just begun. Therefore, wealth prediction rituals on this day were also very popular and were carried out quite often. They found out what awaits the family this year - poverty or wealth - in a fairly simple way. To do this, grains were scattered on the floor and a rooster was released into the house. The more he pecked, the better. If the bird ran back out into the street without touching a single grain, this was a harbinger of serious problems and need.

Fortune telling

On Epiphany, rituals, traditions, and folk signs acquired special meaning. This day was actually considered energetically very strong. For example, on Epiphany, among other things, one could find out what awaits a family or a specific person in the coming year. There were also a variety of rituals for this. For example, it was possible to predict fate with the help of a cat. They carried him outside and waited for him to want to enter the house. At this moment, they watched which paw would be the first to raise over the threshold. If it is on the left, then all family members will be happy in the coming year.

City fortune telling

Of course, in a large populated area it is difficult to find, for example, a barn or a rooster. Therefore, the townspeople guessed a little differently. For example, on the night of January 19, one could roll up a newspaper and set it on fire. The future was predicted by the shadows falling on the wall. To find out if a wish would come true, you could also cut out two squares of white paper and paint one of them black. On the afternoon of January 19, they threw sheets of paper out the window and watched which one would fall to the ground first. If it is black, the wish will not come true.

Modern fortune telling

Nowadays, city dwellers can tell their fortunes a little differently. For example, go outside at night or in the evening, when it gets dark, and, turning your back to your own house, mentally ask a question of interest. Then you need to stand facing the high-rise building and count the luminous windows. An even number will mean a positive answer, an odd number will mean a negative answer.

The method of fortune telling on banknotes is also very interesting. In order to find out whether a wish will come true or not, you should take the wallet in your right hand, and with your left take out the first banknote you come across. Ten, hundred or thousand means a positive answer, five hundred means a negative answer.

Signs for Epiphany

It was possible to find out the future on Epiphany simply by observing the surrounding reality. Next, let's see what signs exist for the holiday of Epiphany. Both fortune-telling rites and rituals with spells required the performance of some, often complex, actions. By signs it was possible to find out your fate much easier. So, for example, the barking of dogs heard at Epiphany was a very good omen, signifying wealth in the coming year.

It was also a good sign to come to Epiphany in heavy snow. This meant health and well-being. Epiphany snow, like water, was considered holy and healing. It was collected from rooftops both for fortune telling and rituals, and simply to treat diseases and get rid of negativity. It was believed that Epiphany melt water was a very good remedy for curing skin diseases and joints.

Other signs

Well, we have found out in sufficient detail how to celebrate Epiphany. The rituals, signs and fortune telling performed on this day are certainly extremely interesting. However, on Epiphany one could determine not only one’s future or the fate of loved ones based on the surrounding environment. According to various signs on this day, our ancestors also predicted simply the weather for the year.

It was believed, for example, that if Epiphany fell on a full moon, a strong flood of rivers was to be expected. Bright stars in the sky promised a dry summer, early spring and a warm, lingering autumn. If Epiphany coincided with the full moon, very severe frosts were expected in the near future. Also, in such years, summer was most often cold, and spring was late and slushy.

Perhaps the signs and rituals adopted for the Epiphany holiday, carried out by many, can actually help to find out the future. To believe or not to believe in such things is a personal matter for everyone. However, in any case, such rituals and traditions are, of course, extremely interesting, including as part of the history of our country.

On the eve of the holiday, we will try to talk about the history, meaning and traditions of Epiphany as an important Christian holiday, as well as about the celebration of Epiphany in various churches. We have already talked about, so today we will talk only about this one thing.

The history of the origin of the holiday of baptism

This event - the Baptism of the Lord - refers to the Gospel story, when Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. The three Synoptic Gospels say that during Jesus’ baptism the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove and at the same time a voice from heaven proclaimed: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17).

When is Orthodox baptism celebrated?

In the Russian Orthodox Church, which adheres to the Julian calendar, the Feast of Epiphany is celebrated on January 19. This holiday is tied to the ancient date of the celebration of Epiphany, that is, to January 6 in the ancient Eastern churches.

That is, not only the Baptism of Jesus Christ is celebrated, but his Birth is also remembered. Both of these holidays make up a single holiday of Epiphany.

In Orthodoxy, the feast of Epiphany is one of the twelve holidays and ends with Christmastide. About Christmastide and sowing, we By the way, we have already written a separate article, which we also recommend that you re-read.

Well, for baptism itself, since ancient times, the water collected on this day has been especially revered. It acquires wonderful properties and can remain fresh and clean for a long time.

How the Feast of Epiphany is celebrated in different churches

In Russia, there are traditionally severe frosts on the Epiphany holiday. Therefore, they are usually called “baptismal”. And, despite the winter cold, on this holiday it is customary to bless water in open reservoirs.

To do this, a hole in the shape of a cross is most often cut out, it is called "Jordan". To gain God's special grace and to be healthy all year round, believers plunge into the Jordan while performing prayers.

Why do they bathe at baptism?

The Old Testament said that baptismal water washes away all the bad in a person and gives rise to good things. "Baptism" literally means "immersion in water".

In ancient times, before the emergence of Christianity in Rus', ablution rituals were used for moral purification. And already in the New Testament, baptism with water symbolizes deliverance from sins and the revival of a pure spiritual life.

Traditions of celebrating baptism in Europe and in the world

In European countries it is also customary to celebrate the holiday of Epiphany. So in Bulgaria this holiday is called “Jordanovden”, and in Macedonia it is called “Voditsa”.

In the churches of these states, traditionally, after the blessing of water in the temple, a solemn procession is made to the reservoir. After the blessing of water, it is customary to throw a wooden cross into the hole. Believers try to dive for the cross and catch it. Retrieving the cross from the water is considered an honorable mission.

Also, it is not strange, but in India there is a holiday when the water becomes especially consecrated on close dates (+- month), at this time there are also holidays all over India and people take baths in the thousands, of course, in warm water.

Traditions of meeting and celebrating the holiday of Epiphany in Rus'

On the eve of the holiday of Epiphany in Rus' or Epiphany on January 18, all Orthodox Christians observe a strict one-day fast.

All day long it is customary to eat only kutya and lean flatbreads prepared in hemp oil, which are called “ very juicy».

The house needs to be thoroughly cleaned on this day. All corners in the house are washed with special care and the garbage is taken out. After this, you need to go to the temple and bless the water. This water is used to treat diseases of the soul and body.

How to bathe and immerse yourself at baptism

There is another Epiphany tradition - swimming in the Jordan. So, what is the correct way to immerse yourself at baptism? You need to plunge into wormwood three times. And it is believed that such immersion helps to wash away all sins and illnesses, and also helps a sinful person to be born again and appear before the Lord clean and born again.

In addition, for this holiday, after fasting, housewives set a rich table with treats of meat, honey and baked goods. The main dish on the table was to eat cookies in the shape of crosses and wash it down with blessed water.

And, of course, the most important thing is that on the feast of baptism all Christians tried to offer prayers to the Lord. Indeed, on this day, according to tradition, it is believed that the heavens open for blessing, and all sincere prayers will certainly be heard by the Lord and, of course, will come true.

This beloved holiday of the Epiphany is approaching. May he bring peace, happiness, health and prosperity to the homes of not only Christian believers, but also of all the peoples of Europe and Russia.

And also do not forget to visit our portal of Training and Self-Development more often, read other articles on Christian topics, about religious holidays, about self-development and other similar topics.

The Christian sacrament of immersion in water, which means joining the church, is called Baptism. Rituals and traditions on this great day - January 19 - take place in all Orthodox homes where people believe in God. On Epiphany (its other name is Epiphany), people perform various rituals to gain strength of spirit and body. Today we will learn about the most popular rituals on this day and about the traditions observed by believers.

Epiphany of the Lord: the history of the holiday

Another name for this great festival is Epiphany, and why it is such a synonym will be explained below.

At the baptism of Jesus Christ, a real miracle happened - God the Father appeared to humanity and notified from heaven about the Son, who was baptized by an ordinary mortal John the Baptist, and in the form of the Holy Spirit a dove descended from heaven. Therefore, the name of this holiday is Epiphany, that is, on that day the Trinity appeared to the world for the first time. After the Epiphany, Jesus went into the desert, led by the Holy Spirit, and in his prayers and meditations began to prepare for the great mission for which he came into this world. Tempted by the Evil Spirit, like all ordinary people, Jesus still restrained himself and spent 40 days without food or water. This is exactly how, with the participation of John the Baptist, a significant event took place in the history of all mankind - the Baptism of the Lord. History shows that this was the first important event in Jesus' public activity.

Sacrament of Baptism

This phrase denotes the spiritual rebirth of a person, this is his birth for the Orthodox Church, where he gains access to Confession, where he unites with God. The peculiarity of the ritual consists in immersing a man, woman or child three times or pouring water over them while reading prayers. After this, a personal cross is put on the Christian, and then the person changes into white clothes. The meaning of this sacrament is that after it a man, woman or children can live according to Christian laws - commandments.

Signs

The important and first Christian sacrament is Baptism. Rituals and traditions on this day must be observed by all people who have become members of the church. On this day, Christ gave a person who had fallen in sin the opportunity to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit after the ceremony itself.

Signs for Baptism are considered the most accurate and truthful. Here are some of them:

If it snowed heavily that day, then you should expect an excellent harvest in the summer.

If on Epiphany the day is clear and very frosty, then the summer months will be hot.

If the stars shine brightly the day before, it means spring will begin early. This also means that the year will be calm, without any shocks.

A relevant sign for Epiphany these days: if Epiphany falls on a full moon, then you need to be afraid of floods and river overflows.

Holiday symbol

All ceremonies and rituals at Epiphany are associated with water, which has extraordinary power on this day. First of all, it maintains absolute freshness for 3 years. You can also dilute ordinary water with it, adding only a drop of Epiphany water. On the holiday, all Christians must go to church and bless this healing liquid. Also for this purpose, people go to the river or reservoir. There she is consecrated in special ice holes called “Jordan”, in honor of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.

Epiphany water is subsequently used to heal people from any diseases; it can be used to treat various wounds and simply be drunk every day in the morning on an empty stomach. They also sprinkle it on every corner in their apartment so that nothing penetrates into the home, and order and peace always remain in the house.

Ritual for physical health

This event should be held on the first day after the Epiphany. It is necessary to fill the bath with warm water, add a few drops of sacred water and immerse yourself in it completely, without leaving any part of the body dry. It is advisable to even dip your face for a few seconds. You need to lie in complete calm for 10 minutes, and then get out of the bath and, without drying yourself with a towel, wait until the body dries itself. Similar ones are carried out not only in relation to sick people for their speedy healing, but also for the entire nation. Even if a person is healthy and nothing bothers him, for his continued well-being it is advisable to perform this activity.

For the recovery of a bedridden person

The great holiday of Epiphany, celebrated on January 19 by all Orthodox Christians, is not only about the health and healing of people who come to a healing pond or river. Some patients, due to their various ailments, simply cannot get out of bed and go out for a swim. For such unfortunate people there is a special ritual for recovery. To do this, it is necessary for one of the relatives to collect sacred water, come to the house and consecrate every corner of it, and then sprinkle the patient’s room three times. And an infirm loved one should be allowed to drink crosswise 3 times from a separate container. Then you definitely need to wash your relative and wipe him with the back of his undershirt. After this, change clothes and wash the shirt on the same day - January 19 in a pond. Then let it dry and put it on the person again. After such a ritual, the sick relative will recover very soon.

Ritual for the fulfillment of cherished desires

This ritual is carried out as follows: on the eve of the holiday, you need to fill a cup with sacred water left over from previous years, and then lower it into it. Then you should place the cup with the contents on the windowsill so that the moon shines on the container (it is advisable to do this. Then you need to say it quietly 3 times and go to bed. In the morning you should go outside and pour water under a tree, and hide the coin in a secluded place so that no one else finds it. Similar ceremonies and rituals for Baptism to fulfill cherished desires were carried out before, and people still believe in them and with special joy and trepidation they await the feast of Epiphany in order to take advantage of the opportunity and fulfill the sacrament of making their dreams come true.

Ritual for body tone

Of course, everyone knows where to start Epiphany on January 19th. Traditions indicate that a trip to the reservoir is the first event on the great feast of Epiphany. During the ritual, to tone the body, you need to plunge into a consecrated river or pond completely with your head, and you need to do this 3 times and you should definitely cross yourself. But not all people know how to properly prepare for such an event. Rituals for Epiphany on January 19 must be performed according to the rules, so you should first gather and follow simple instructions, which are expressed as follows:

1. The most important thing is to fast for 3 days before the ritual of immersion in sacred water.
2. You should lead a correct lifestyle - give up alcohol, smoking, do not use obscene language, do not cheat, do not steal and, of course, do not commit adultery.
3. On the evening of January 18, you should go to church and collect sacred water with which you need to sprinkle yourself, and in the morning just wash your face with it.
4. Only after the steps described above can you go to a river or pond, where, before taking a plunge, you should read the “Our Father” prayer three times.

Under no circumstances should you go into the water with anyone’s help on Epiphany, an Orthodox holiday. A person must do this on his own, because this is a kind of test for the strength of spirit and body.

People who sincerely believe in the healing power of water will never get sick, even if it is -30 degrees below zero. And those who decided to join and perform such rituals on Epiphany on January 19 for the sake of fashion or for other reasons can only cause themselves harm, and quite serious ones at that.

Ritual for childless spouses

Many married couples want children's laughter to be heard in their home, but they never manage to have a child. However, if they believe in God and in his power, then such unfortunate people should perform a special ritual on the holiday. Epiphany (January 19) helps all childless spouses and gives them a chance to become parents. However, this opportunity must be taken advantage of correctly, so you should prepare first. Husband and wife should not sleep in bed together for three nights before Epiphany. On the evening of January 18, the spouse must necessarily defend the service and leave after it, without talking to anyone until she plunges three times into the pond (that is, in the morning of January 19). Her husband may not attend church, but if he also wants to defend the service, he should go to another temple. And in the same way, after this he cannot talk to anyone until the immersion process. When a married couple dips into Epiphany water three times, only after that can they meet each other and be sure to spend the night together. And very soon they will have the opportunity to become loving parents. Such ceremonies and rituals for Epiphany should not be told to other people. Therefore, it is better not to tell anyone about such a sacrament.

Traditions

1. On the eve of the holiday, all believers fasted during the day, and in the evening the whole family gathered at the table and tasted kutya, as on Christmas.

2. On the day of Epiphany, a service is held in the church.

3. On the eve of Epiphany, water is blessed in churches, and on the holiday itself - in rivers, lakes, and seas.

4. The day before Epiphany, people cut a hole in the ice in the form of a cross, and a figurine of a dove is placed next to it as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

5. The ceremony of water blessing takes place over the river near the cross. During it, the priest lowers a cross and a lit three-candlestick into the hole 3 times. It turns out that water is baptized with fire.

6. The great holiday of Epiphany is celebrated on January 19th. The traditions of youth on this day include entertainment on ice: young boys and girls skated and set up carousels. And in the evening they began to go from house to house, caroling, singing songs, congratulating all people on the great holiday. After Epiphany, the young people gathered again in the evenings, and then the girls and boys met, communicated, and soon chose a mate. And from the moment of Epiphany until Lent, a new season of weddings lasted.

Now you know what the holiday of Epiphany is. Rituals, traditions, rituals have been observed from time immemorial by our ancestors, and we, as Orthodox believers, should not forget about such sacraments and be sure to go to church, pray, and on January 19, prepare in advance and go take a dip in the ice hole to improve the health of the soul and body.

There are quite a lot of these traditions

January 6 (19) is the holiday of Epiphany. In the Slavic folk calendar, this day is called Vodokreschi. The most famous tradition associated with this day is the night before the holiday, but it is not the only one.

On the night of January 18 to January 19, Epiphany Evening is celebrated - some Slavs at this time collected snow, which they believed had special healing properties. On January 19, the feast of Epiphany, a prayer service for the blessing of water was held. An external chapel was built over a carved out (often in the form of a cross) wormwood or “Jordan”.

In Russia, it is customary to bless water at Epiphany. This tradition dates back to the times when Christianity was a fairly young religion - in one of the Antioch sermons of John Chrysostom, delivered in 387, the saint said that water collected at midnight for the holiday remains unspoiled for a very long time.

According to another Slavic tradition, the hay that had been lying around for two carol weeks was removed from the table and given to the livestock in order to improve and speed up the cows' milk, and at the same time protect against witch leprosy. In Polesie, it was customary to draw crosses and horses on the doors at Epiphany. In some places, walls, doors and the stove were also covered with chalk, drawing trees, birds, animals and horsemen. Russian peasants, in order to protect their homes from fire, read during Epiphany Week: “The saints followed me, carrying a bowl of water. If there is a fire, the saints will put out the fire. Don't burn once, don't burn twice, don't burn three. Neither today, nor tomorrow, never burn. The saints are standing, guarding my house. Amen".

On Epiphany in Rus' they began to prepare for the winter wedding season. For twelve days after the holiday, it was forbidden to do laundry in the ice holes.

Recently, Archpriest Alexey Emelyanov, in an interview with MK, said that swimming in an ice hole, even if it is a very old tradition, should not replace the essence of the holiday, which implies purification in a more sublime sense. In this regard, the archpriest did not approve of the fact that some people try to warm up after swimming by drinking alcoholic beverages - according to Emelyanov, while observing the tradition related to religion, drinking alcohol on a liturgical day is inappropriate.

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The cheerful mosaic of the post-Christmas holidays is crowned by the great twelfth holiday. On January 19, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, or, as it is also called, Holy Epiphany.

We all know that at this midnight it is customary to draw water and in the morning, after the service, to plunge into the ice hole. True believers perform these rituals in order to cleanse themselves of sins, and cunning people - in order to “stock up” on health and simply, just in case.

There are many more signs and traditions that our ancestors have collected for centuries; we invite you to familiarize yourself with the main and most interesting of them.

The meaning of the Feast of the Epiphany

The essence of this religious holiday is clear from its name. The events to which this day is actually dedicated are described in detail in the gospels (John, Luke, Matthew). We will not retell the holy books, we will only briefly dwell on the main facts.

On the day of his thirtieth birthday, the Son of God came to the Jordan and was baptized in the waters of the great river by John. There is another important point that gave the holiday its second name (Epiphany): when Jesus went ashore, the Holy Spirit descended to him in the form of a dove, the heavens opened and the voice of the Lord was heard, announcing that this was his beloved son.

According to legends, after these events, Christ spent 40 days in the desert, praying and fasting, not succumbing to devilish temptations. Upon his return, he began a great mission to save humanity.

Historically, this holiday is one of the first to which church services are dedicated (mentioned from the 2nd century AD). Initially, it combined several important moments for Christians: Christmas, the appearance of the trinity of God and the Baptism of Jesus.

The division occurred in the 6th century, but not in all branches of Christianity, there are also some differences in dates (other options: January 6th or the Sunday closest to this date).

On the holiday, church ministers dress in solemn white clothes and conduct the blessing of water (on January 18th - in the church, on January 19th, after the Liturgy, - at a nearby reservoir). Recently, a new ritual has appeared - the release of white doves into the sky, symbolizing the Holy Spirit.

Baptism of the Lord: traditions, customs

The day before, as well as before Christmas, is called Christmas Eve. Believers fast until the evening and have “hungry” kutia for dinner. According to the canons, the dish is prepared from steamed wheat and uzvar (unsweetened compote), additional ingredients: honey, ground poppy seeds, walnuts.

At Epiphany, people sit down at the table after attending a service and swimming in an ice hole. The menu is at the discretion of the owners. However, according to tradition, it is customary to prepare cookies in the shape of crosses. By the way, in some houses these sweets were given special significance.

Housewives wished for a cookie for each family member, and then watched how the year would go for the household members: if after baking the cross turned out even and ruddy, everything would be wonderful; if it got burnt, it meant illness and trouble.

You are not allowed to work on Epiphany.

In the evening on Christmas Eve, all the shoes were brought from the entryway into the house; boots or felt boots forgotten at the threshold foreshadowed health problems. No money was lent during the entire Christmas season, otherwise the family would be in need all year long.

Unmarried girls awaited the holiday with special trepidation, the reason for this being the bridesmaid ceremony, which was held in the church or near the Jordan ice hole. An engagement that took place at Epiphany was considered the key to a long and prosperous family life.

signs and fortune telling for baptism

Our ancestors noted the features of this day, using them to predict various future events, weather, and harvest.

Here are some examples:

• Snow and a blizzard on Epiphany are harbingers of a good “grain” year.
• The clear starry sky on the night before Epiphany symbolizes the rich harvest of berries and peas.
• Hunters paid special attention to dog barking; the better you can hear it, the more game there will be. The modern interpretation of this sign is curious: barking and yapping mean profit as such.
• Birds knocking on the window on this day are identified with the souls of deceased loved ones. Such an event happened, a memorial must be distributed.

Young ladies who took care of their appearance collected snow at night and then washed themselves with it so that “the skin would shine and the cheeks would blush.”

The simplest way of Epiphany divination is to conceive a dream. Another interesting option to predict the events of the current year is to prepare 6 cups with symbolic objects:

1. water – calm, routine;
2. coin - to financial profit, well-being;
3. ring - of course, this is a wedding, well, or great love;
4. sugar – success in everything, “sweet” life;
5. salt – sadness, failure, loss;
6. match - birth of a child.

Fortune tellers blindfolded make a choice and then interpret the future.

You can also pour a handful of crumbs or seeds onto the floor, while making your most cherished wish. After collecting and counting, if the number is even, everything will come true, and vice versa.

Great Blessing of Water and Epiphany Bathing

Even ardent skeptics do not argue with the fact that ordinary water on a festive night acquires special properties. It is customary to collect the healing liquid at midnight and consecrate it in the church in the morning. Store separately at home, preferably near icons.

Many people are interested in the permissible volumes; churchmen usually answer this question: be it a barrel or a bottle, but then they remind you that greed is a sin.

Let's see how this special water is used:

• sprinkle the home;
• before breakfast on January 19, everyone in the family is given a spoon to drink;
• added to medicine if someone gets sick.

Some people start every morning with a sip of consecrated liquid and a slice of prosphora.

Nowadays it is fashionable to swim in an ice hole at Epiphany in order to wash away all sins. Jordans are carved in the shape of a cross; there is usually a priest nearby who reads prayers, so the people have a misconception that three-time ablution (you must dive headlong) is a church rite. In fact, this is a near-pagan tradition, and sins are forgiven only after repentance.

For those who have decided to improve their health in this way, we present a list of simple safety measures:

• Do not drink alcohol before swimming.
• Do not take a running jump into the ice hole; undress first and warm up with physical exercise.
• A minute of ablution is quite enough, and you don’t need to plunge to the very top of your head - just enter the body of water up to your shoulders.
• Afterwards, rub yourself vigorously with a towel, immediately get dressed and drink hot tea.
• For hypertensive patients, rheumatic patients, and ulcer sufferers, such experiments are strictly prohibited.

Night bathing in your own bath is a completely worthy alternative, and from the point of view of the church too.