The Epiphany of the Lord is a great holiday that always falls on the same day. It's January 19th. In 2020, it will be Sunday, a day off. Regardless of how the state looks at this, Epiphany is a big holiday for believers. On this day it is necessary to go to the morning service. Blessed water is collected there in the Temple.

Those who have attended Epiphany services know that Father tries to generously pour water on any parishioner. Naturally, no one gets splashed from the bucket, but enough splashes get on everyone to wash themselves. This is done for a reason. The fact is that this is the only day of the year when any believer can wash away all sins. Moreover, this can be done in any natural source!

Epiphany bathing: harm or benefit?

Usually a crowd of people wanting to take a bath gathers near a natural pond. A clergyman arrives and performs the ceremony of blessing the water. Then everyone goes swimming. You must dive headfirst three times, saying “Our Father” to yourself.

Everyone who swam in the Epiphany frosts claims that the procedure has a healing effect. Nobody ever gets sick from this. It just puts enormous stress on the body. Ice water combined with frosty air, this is not a test for everyone. Doctors do not recommend jumping into an ice hole for people with a weak heart. They say that such a temperature difference cannot be withstood.

During such a contrast (temperature environment changes by more than 36 degrees) the work of all systems is instantly activated, primarily the circulatory system. The vessels immediately contract, trying to preserve internal organs from the cold, and then quickly expand - warming the skin. Since this all happens very quickly, the person experiences stress. The blood is filled with hormones, the main one of which is adrenaline, which stimulates the speed of all processes. Doctors say that it is the prohibitive amount of this substance that is dangerous for sick people.

Those who definitely want to join the general Epiphany celebrations are advised to harden their body in advance. You should start with a contrast shower. Then practice dousing cold water indoors, gradually reducing its temperature. After six months of such hardening, you can dive into the ice hole.

Properties of Epiphany water

Even clergy (albeit reluctantly) admit that all natural water becomes healing on January 19th. It is not necessary to wait until Father consecrates it. You can dial from any source at night, just after midnight. Scientists explain this effect by the position of stars and planets. Epiphany water has been studied many times. It has been proven that at midnight it changes its structure, becoming less clustered and alive.

Regardless of the opinion of scientists and clergy, it is recommended to stock up on Epiphany water. They then drink it and wash it to remove the evil eye. This water is often added to tea or medicine if a person is sick. Of course, it will not replace pills and injections, but it helps in restoring the natural strength of the body.

But in the matter of spiritual calm and getting rid of empty worries and melancholy, she may well compete with medicines. Because it contains, as church officials say, the Grace of the Lord.

Is it possible to drink Epiphany water and does it spoil?

Almost all the water under water is Epiphany. open air at a certain time. When to dial it? Here's the rub. If you want to dial it in the Temple, then after the service. Father spends special rite, only after this the water is consecrated.

And if we mean the water that was in the open air, then it is collected immediately after midnight. Some argue that you can get it from the tap at home without fuss. This is not entirely true. Water “hidden” from cosmic rays may not have received any special structuring. Water should be collected in the open air. Or you can prepare it in an open container and put it outside. All this water will become Epiphany after midnight.

It doesn't just last long. It just doesn't spoil. This has been checked many times. It is recommended to prepare as much water as needed to use it before the new Great Holiday. And it is intended, like other things consecrated in the Church, for drinking, adding to tea and other drinks, making medicines and infusions with it, washing, and more. However, if you take water from an open source, you need to boil it or pass it through a filter. Beliefs are one thing, but no one has canceled bacteria.

It is not necessary to drink only prepared holy water. It is added little by little (a tablespoon or a teaspoon) to other drinks or water. At the same time, there is no need to be afraid that it can spoil the boiled water or that there will be consequences (of a bad nature) from mixing them. Nothing like this will happen, because such water can only have a beneficial effect on those who use it.

This is one of the so-called twelves Orthodox holidays, which from time immemorial has been highly revered in our country. It is with Epiphany, also called Epiphany, that a lot of very original Russian customs and traditions, and many folk signs are associated. However, this same holiday “provokes” our fellow citizens to do some wrong things.

What should not be done on Epiphany days?

– I’ll probably disappoint many of your readers by telling them that you can’t do exactly those two things that are most well-known and popular among the general public. Namely: swimming in an ice hole and doing fortune telling,” Father Vladimir, the priest of the Church of All Saints in Nikolskoye, “delighted.” – Well, with the second act, from the point of view of the Church, everything is quite clear. These “great-grandmother’s” rituals with plates, candles, shoes, supposedly promoting a future prosperous life, finding a betrothed, a successful marriage, can in fact be regarded as divination, a return to paganism. An Orthodox person, instead of all this, should simply pray to the Lord properly, turning to Him with requests for the same well-being, a successful marriage... And not only on Epiphany Christmas Eve, but also on other days.

As for Epiphany bathing in an ice hole, this tradition arose in Russia a very long time ago, but in church canons such a dip in the waters of rivers and lakes on the occasion of the Epiphany is not mentioned. That is, you can swim, but it is by no means necessary. But in the current situation, it turns out that it’s even harmful. Not for the human body (although here too you can overdo it), but for his soul.

Unfortunately, modern Epiphany realities are as follows: tens, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate this holiday, limiting themselves only to external, ostentatious actions - bravely diving into the “Jordan”. He came, splashed into the hole and seemed to wash away all his sins. It would be too primitive! No, my dears, it is correct on these days - January 18 and 19, to visit the temple, pray, attend the rite of the Great Blessing of Water and sprinkling of all parishioners with it, conducted by the priests, and in addition, observe a strict fast on Christmas Eve, abstaining from modest food and especially from strong drinks...

– But at Epiphany clergy perform a special rite of consecrating ice holes...

- Absolutely right. However, it primarily symbolizes purification, blessing higher powers lake and river waters, which people can then scoop up in buckets, jugs and carry into their home...

And then it’s time to remind you of one more Epiphany “no”.

Of course, water brought home, blessed by a priest - from a temple, from an ice hole on the river - can be used in different ways. Someone washes their face with it, someone reverently drinks it (but here we are, of course, talking about water taken from the church), someone sprinkles their homes and trees in the garden with it, someone gives it to livestock to drink, which helps strengthen it and increase in offspring... However, with any method of use, one should not allow Epiphany holy water to be poured into the sewer, into pits with sewage, or onto a clearly polluted floor that has not been washed before...

– And if the person at home decided to bring Epiphany water wash or even douse yourself entirely, how can you avoid drops and streams flowing from your body getting into the drain?

- So you stand in the basin and then start pouring yourself over. And at the end of the procedure, pour the water that has accumulated in the basin into flower pots, on the lawn, on the beds and flower beds in the garden...

Ethnographer Nikolai Popov spoke about some Epiphany prohibitions.

- Of course, Father Vladimir is right when he says that fortune telling on Christmas Eve is not good from a church point of view, by doing this you are “indulging in evil spirits.” Our ancestors also understood this, which is why they had a rule of cleansing from such sin. Those who, following tradition, still practice fortune-telling on Christmastide, Christmas Eve and Epiphany Eve, must definitely pour themselves on Epiphany blessed water- certainly with prayer. Thus, the sin of divination is washed away.

A few more “taboos” associated with this well-known custom. Although here we can already talk, rather, about popular beliefs, and not about the strictures of the church.

Under no circumstances should you descend into the hole with your face turned to the west. You should definitely turn to the east - after all, this is the direction from where the Almighty sends us His grace.

The next portion of “swimming” prohibitions concerns representatives of the fairer sex. In general, women who have just had their first period should not plunge into the Epiphany ice hole. critical days. And for everyone else, it is unacceptable to dive into the “Jordan” with their heads uncovered or in a frivolous swimsuit. The rules require you to tie your head with a headscarf, and wear an undershirt that is at least knee-length, or better yet, ankle-length.

As for men, they are strictly instructed to remove their hats before plunging.

It was believed that after a prayer ritual performed by a priest at an ice hole, the water in a river or lake became holy for three days. Taking this into account, housewives in the villages were not allowed to wash and rinse clothes during such a three-day period, so as not to pollute the miracle water with “dirty rags.” There was a popular belief that those who violate this rule will definitely have sore hands for a long time after washing. (But in the following days and weeks, the Epiphany water stored in the house was actively used by women to whiten linen: when rinsing washed canvas and linen fabrics, they sprinkled them with this blessed miraculous water. The result of such a seemingly insignificant procedure was almost always very impressive - modern household chemicals resting!)

Certain prohibitions have long been formulated by our ancestors for the most festive Epiphany day. Basically, such restrictions are dictated folk signs: caring about their future, people tried to avoid certain actions on Epiphany.

For example, the opinion has taken root that on this twelfth holiday nothing can be done to improve the home and household. Using scissors (unless absolutely necessary) is especially fraught with future troubles!

The saddest consequences next year awaited those villagers who, for some reason, locked the door of the house, not allowing the priest to enter it (the priest, according to tradition, during the day of Epiphany, went around all the village houses and said a prayer in each and sprinkled the rooms with holy water, cleansing home from dark forces).

It is unacceptable to throw in the trash the wheat porridge specially cooked for the coming of Epiphany - the so-called sochivo. Even if for some reason the hostess did not succeed in this dish, it is better to give it to pets or scatter it across a clearing so that the birds will peck it.

It is very bad if in a house where an unmarried young woman lives, before the onset of Epiphany night, the owners did not draw a cross with chalk or charcoal. front door and windows. According to an old belief, in case of such unacceptable forgetfulness, the home may be visited by a dangerous werewolf, nicknamed “ Fire serpent" This villain “in the bud” destroys young girls, appearing to them in the form of a handsome man. The young ladies inevitably fall in love with him, and such love – supposedly eternal forever – drives the unfortunate ones crazy, plunges them into longing for the werewolf-pretender, “dries out the soul and body, destroys the beauty of a girl.” The cross, painted ahead of time above the door and window openings, reliably blocks the villain’s access to the home where the young representative of the fair sex lives.

On the night of January 18-19, Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate one of their most revered holidays - the Baptism of the Lord, also called Epiphany.

WHEN TO TAKE WATER?
So, if you are tormented by illnesses, stock up on healing Epiphany water. This water, collected on the night of January 18-19, from 0:10 am to 1:30 am or a little later, has been considered miraculous since time immemorial. At this time, “the sky opens” and the prayer addressed to God will be heard.

Our grandparents used it for treatment, cleansing, expelling evil spirits and bad thoughts, splashing it on a person’s face or in the corners of the house.
Want to check? It's not difficult. Just try to do everything exactly according to the rules, carefully preserved in people's memory.

AFTER THE FIRST STAR
On Christmas Eve, January 18, you cannot eat anything until the first stars appear in the sky. Drink only clean water, try to spend the whole day quietly and calmly, without getting irritated, without entering into conflicts, bring cleanliness and order to the house. In the evening, after the first star, you can have dinner.

Prepare glass containers with lids, such as 3-liter jars or bottles. Sterilize them thoroughly. After 0 hours 10 minutes, fill this container with water from a well, spring or other clean source. You can just do it from the tap. It is advisable to pass it through a cleaning filter, but this is not prerequisite. Take at least 3 liters and close the jars with lids.

It is better to store Epiphany water in a cool, dark place. And if in the future for some reason you want to pour this water, then under no circumstances pour it into the toilet or sink. Dilute with plain water and then pour or water the plants (by the way, it has been noted that undiluted Epiphany water has different effects on plants: some bloom, others, on the contrary, die. Therefore, it is better not to take risks and act carefully).

HOW TO TAKE A BATH?
This night, pour yourself with baptismal water three times or take a bath. Between 0:10 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., fill the bathtub with cold tap water. Cross the water and yourself three times, read the prayer and knock with your fist right hand across the chest three times to cause the body to vibrate in harmony with the vibrations of the water. Then, without screaming or making noise, sit in the bath and plunge your head three times, hitting your chest each time.

Silently leave the bath (if someone else in your household wants to swim in Epiphany water, fill the bath with new water).

Do not dry yourself immediately; let the water absorb into the skin. At this time, perform self-massage or vigorously tap your fingers all over your body from head to toe. Then put on warm clothes, underwear, socks, everything new and always washed and ironed. Drink herbal tea with honey.

IS YOUR WATER “BOILING”?
scares you cold water? Are you afraid of a cold? There, dilute the cold baptismal water with hot water to the temperature you can withstand. Children and the elderly can take a warm bath during the day rather than at night, but water still needs to be drawn from 0:10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

While bathing, pay attention to how the water behaves in the bath. If, when immersed in it, the water “boils” or bubbles appear, it means that the cleansing process is very active, the evil eye is removed, and negative energy comes out.

HOW LONG SHOULD I STORE WATER?
Epiphany water, stored in glass containers, can be used for a year or even. This is a very strong energy water, so drinking it constantly is not recommended. But to take it as a medicine, if you are unwell, add it to the bath (from one teaspoon to one glass per bath), rinse your mouth, wash your face, spray your face, eyes, whole body - it is very useful.

I remind you: there is no need to dry yourself.

To cleanse the home, Epiphany water is sprinkled in the corners of the rooms, and then a small part of the water is poured into a glass vessel, without closing the lid, and left in the room.

We have collected for you answers from experienced priests to the most interesting and pressing questions about holy water and Baptism.

January 19 Orthodox Church remembers the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. The event of the Baptism of the Lord is also called the Epiphany, for at this moment the manifestation of the Fullness of the Divinity took place - the appearance of all the Persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father, who testified about the Son with a voice from Heaven, the Son who received Baptism, and the Holy Spirit, who descended on the Son in the form of a dove.

TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Holy water is called both Epiphany and Epiphany water - we are talking about the same water. Some people think that Baptism and Epiphany are not the same thing, and that the water that is blessed on Christmas Eve and on the day of the holiday itself is not the same. This is superstition!
The grace of sanctification given to water is the same.
On January 18 and 19, water is blessed with the same rite, so they should not be distinguished.

In our time, performing the rite of the Great Blessing of Water twice has become a statutory tradition. In the ancient Church there was an important reason for this: on the eve of this holiday, the baptism of catechumens took place. For the sake of this sacrament, the first great blessing of water was performed in memory of Baptism, which the Lord received in the waters of the Jordan at the hand of St. Prophet John the Baptist. The difference between the first and second consecration is that on the Eve of Epiphany the blessing of water was performed in churches where catechumens were baptized, and on the day of the feast of Epiphany they went to the Jordan River.

2. Baptism of the Lord and Epiphany are different holidays or the same one?
The Baptism of the Lord is also called the Epiphany, because at Baptism on the Jordan God appeared in three persons, the Holy Trinity: God the Father spoke from heaven about the Son, the Son of God was baptized by John and was witnessed by God the Father, the Holy Spirit descended on the Son in the form of a dove.

3. When does the tradition of blessing water begin?
Since apostolic times, the Holy Church has been celebrating the day of Holy Epiphany, commanding in its decrees: “May you have great respect for the day on which the Lord revealed the Divinity to us.” The festive blessing of water originates from the tradition of the Jerusalem Church, where already in the first centuries of Christianity a festive exit to the Jordan River and blessing of water took place in memory of the Baptism of the Savior. Since ancient times, in the Russian Church, imitating that of Jerusalem, a solemn blessing of water has been performed on the eve of the holiday and on the day of Epiphany itself.

4. Is tap water blessed at Epiphany?

A question that can be encountered very often. In the popular book of Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) “Unholy Saints” we can find a story about how the new martyrs and confessors of Russia performed Divine Services. One of them was asked: “But how, father, did you consecrate the water on the day of Epiphany? After all, prayers for Epiphany are read once a year and they are very long?” To which we received the following answer: “But we didn’t need to remember these prayers. After all, if at least in one place in the Universe in Orthodox church The rite of the great consecration of water is performed, then through the prayers of the Holy Church “the nature of all waters” is sanctified - all the water in the world becomes baptismal and holy.
On this day we took water from any source, and it was incorruptible, grace-filled, baptismal. And, like any baptismal water, it did not spoil for many years.”
But if all the water is blessed on this day, is it necessary to go to the temple? It seems to us that from this story it is impossible to conclude that those who have the opportunity to visit the temple of God can simply get water from the tap. The water is blessed by the prayer of the entire Church and for the faithful children of the Church, so everyone who has the opportunity to come to church must do so. If this is not possible, you need to ask someone to go to the temple for water, but if there is no temple nearby, then only in this case can you use the example of the new martyrs.

We will also listen to the opinion of Fr. Maxim Kozlov:
“On the feast of the Epiphany, tap water, contrary to popular belief, does not become holy.
In the majority of churches not only in Moscow, but also in any city, the water for consecration on the feast of Epiphany is taken from the water supply, and is not brought from the Jordan on special flights. So the consecration of water is not a process of changing its biochemical composition, we are talking about the spiritual component. If we are talking about whether it is possible to run a bath at home from the 18th to the 19th and consider that this is the same water blessed in the church, then this is not so. Because what is perceived as sanctified in the church is what is sanctified in the church. Orthodoxy does not know miracles as tricks, and does not practice them,” the priest believes.

He urged those who want to collect holy water not to be lazy and go to the nearest temple to get it.

“By the way, it is distributed, firstly, completely free of charge, that is, for nothing, and secondly, it allows for dilution; its properties do not depend on concentration. So, it’s enough to collect a small bottle in the temple,” the priest noted.

Some Orthodox Christians actually believe that at Epiphany all water becomes holy, including that which flows from the tap.

5. Good afternoon! Please tell me, is it true that if an unbaptized person comes to church on January 19 and attends the entire service, then after that he can consider himself baptized and can wear a cross and go to church? And in general, can an unbaptized person go to church? Thank you very much, Elena

Hello, Elena!

An unbaptized person can go to Church, but he cannot participate in Church Sacraments (confession, Communion, weddings, etc.). In order to become baptized, it is necessary that the Sacrament of Baptism be performed on a person, and not attend a service on the feast of the Epiphany. After the service, approach the priest and tell him that you want to be Baptized. This requires your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the desire to live according to His commandments, as well as some knowledge about the Orthodox doctrine and the Orthodox Church. The priest will be able to answer your questions and help you prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism. God help you!

On the Feast of the Epiphany, Orthodox Christians go to church and participate in the Sacraments of Confession and Communion.
If it is not possible to come to the temple, you can ask your family or friends about it.
There is no need to rush or jostle while queuing for water. It will be much more helpful to pray in reverent silence.

6. Holy water can be diluted with plain water clean water, and she will also be full of grace. Therefore, there is no need to stress yourself out taking a 30-liter canister from the temple. It is enough to take a small bottle and use it evenly throughout the year.

7. You can store holy water in both plastic and glass containers, placing it, for example, next to icons. With reverence, holy water remains fresh and pleasant to the taste. for a long time. Cases have been noted more than once when water, blessed in the same place by the same priest, spoiled for some, while for others it stood for a long time.
Epiphany water is such from the moment of its consecration and for a year, two or more, until its reserves at home run out. Taken from the church on any day, it never loses its holiness (Archimandrite Ambrose (Ermakov)).

8. You can sprinkle your home, place of work and study, car and other things with holy water with the prayer “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

9. It is customary to take holy water on an empty stomach along with prosphora after reading morning prayers. You should drink it reverently, with prayer, so that this gift of the Lord will be for the health of soul and body. In case of illness, you can drink holy water as needed (you can also drink Epiphany water in an effort to get rid of strong action any passion or sorrow).

10. Father, I have a 6-month-old daughter, and when I bathe her, I add holy water to the water. Is it possible to drain this water later or not?

When bathing your daughter, there is no need to add holy water to the bath: after all, holy water can only be poured into a special place that is not trampled underfoot. It’s better to give your daughter holy water to drink, and also regularly commune her with the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Sincerely, priest Alexander Ilyashenko

Due to various circumstances, although very rarely, it happens that water comes into a state that does not allow consumption. In this case, it should be poured into some untrampled place - into a flowing river, for example, or in the forest under a tree, and the vessel in which it was stored should no longer be used in everyday life.
As priest Mikhail Mikhailov said, one priest I knew, in 1988, had a bottle of water that he had kept since 1953 or 1954...

11. If you have a desire to plunge into an ice hole, then, based on your state of health, ask the priest for a blessing and follow safety measures. Bathing in any water sources is not a Church Sacrament that cleanses the soul from sins, it is simply a pious tradition. We must remember that sins are forgiven only in the Sacrament of Confession.

12. The Orthodox Church has a negative attitude towards various types of Christmas fortune telling and asks his children not to commit the grave sins of sorcery. Any kind of fortune-telling on the “Epiphany evening” is a grave sin for the soul, a desecration of the holy day.

Archpriest Alexander Avdyugin warns about other superstitions:
- You cannot pour holy water in the bathtub when bathing in order to get well.
- Cattle (thin animals) and other domestic animals cannot be given this water to drink, even taking into account the fact that some saints have such examples.
- Epiphany water does not help against the evil eye, slander, conspiracy and other eccentricities from the aura of paganism, since it is holiness, and not its own superstition.
- You can and should sprinkle your home with holy water, but paint on door jambs crosses are your personal choice.
- Epiphany water (Agiasma) never spoils either because silver ions from the cross fall into it, but because it is holy.
- It is an absolute superstition and the grin of the evil one that you cannot pour holy water “from yourself,” “through your hand,” or through a funnel, or place a bottle of holy water on the ground.

13. Epiphany Christmas Eve (January 18 - the day before Epiphany), according to the Church Charter, is a day of strict fasting, so it should be spent in prayer. On Christmas Eve they prepare sochivo - boiled grain with dried fruits and honey. Christmastide ends with Epiphany Christmas Eve - holidays after the Nativity of Christ.

14. Is it possible for unbaptized people to use holy water, oil blessed on the relics of saints and prosphora?

On the one hand, it is possible, because what harm could a person do if he drinks holy water, or anoints himself with oil, or eats prosphora? But you just need to think about how this could be useful to him.

If this is a certain approach of a person to the church fence, if he, not yet deciding to be baptized, say, having been a militant atheist in the past, now, through the prayers of his wife, mother, daughter or someone else close to him, no longer rejects at least these external as if signs of churchliness, then this is good and pedagogically it will lead him to what is more essential in our faith - to the worship of God in spirit and truth.

And if such actions are perceived as a kind of magic, as a kind of “church medicine,” but at the same time the person does not at all strive to become a church member in order to become Orthodox Christian, only reassures himself that I am doing something like this and it will serve as some kind of amulet, then there is no need to provoke this kind of consciousness. Based on these two possibilities, you decide in relation to your specific situation, whether or not you need to offer church shrines to any of your loved ones (Archpriest Maxim Kozlov).

15. Does it happen that holy water “doesn’t help”?

Saint Theophan the Recluse writes: “All the grace coming from God through the Holy Cross, holy icons, holy water, relics, consecrated bread (artos, antidor, prosphora), etc., including Most Holy Communion The Body and Blood of Christ has power only for those who are worthy of this grace through prayers of repentance, repentance, humility, service to people, works of mercy and the manifestation of other Christian virtues. But if they are not there, then this grace will not save, it does not act automatically, like a talisman, and is useless for the wicked and imaginary Christians (without virtues).”

Miracles of healing still occur today, and they are countless. But only those who accept it with living faith in the promises of God and the power of prayer of the Holy Church, those who have a pure and sincere desire to change their lives, repentance, and salvation, are rewarded with the miraculous effects of holy water. God does not create miracles where people want to see them only out of curiosity, without a sincere intention to use them for their salvation. “An evil and adulterous generation,” the Savior said about his unbelieving contemporaries, “seeks a sign; and no sign will be given to him.” In order for holy water to benefit us, we will take care of the purity of our souls and the high dignity of our thoughts and actions.

HOLY WATER (it is also called Epiphany and Epiphany: from the Greek “agiasma”, which means “shrine”) is water that is ordinary in composition and original origin, miraculously acquiring beneficial and healing properties after performing a special prayer service called water blessing (blessing of water). Holy water has special properties to sanctify material objects and heal spiritual and physical ailments. Christians have great reverence for her.

PRAYER FOR ACCEPTING PROSPORA AND HOLY WATER

Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities according to Your infinite mercy, through prayers Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen.

Baptism– famous church holiday, because it was on this day that Jesus Christ was baptized on the Jordan River. It is celebrated on January 19th. And of course, in every house they stocked up on holy Epiphany water for the whole year, which had miraculous powers and healed wounds.

Why is water blessed?

Water takes important place in our everyday life. However, she also has highest value: it has healing powers, which is repeatedly stated in the Holy Scriptures.

In New Testament times, water serves the spiritual rebirth of a person into a new, grace-filled life, cleansing from sins. In a conversation with Nicodemus, Christ the Savior says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). At the beginning of His ministry, Christ Himself received Baptism from the prophet John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. The chants of the service for this holiday say that the Lord “grants cleansing with water to the human race”; “Thou hast sanctified the streams of the Jordan, thou hast crushed the sinful power, O Christ our God...”

How is water blessed?

The blessing of water can be small and great: the small is performed several times throughout the year (during prayers, the Sacrament of Baptism), and the great - only on the feast of the Epiphany (Epiphany). The blessing of water is called great because of the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the memory of the gospel event, which became not only the prototype of the mysterious washing of sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very nature of water through the immersion of God in the flesh.

The Great Blessing of Water is performed according to the Rule at the end of the liturgy, after the prayer behind the pulpit, on the very day of Epiphany (January 19), as well as on the Eve of Epiphany (January 18). On the very day of Epiphany, the blessing of water is performed with a solemn procession to the water sources, known as the “walk to the Jordan.”

How to use holy water?

The use of holy water in the daily life of an Orthodox Christian is quite varied. For example, it is consumed on an empty stomach in small quantities, usually together with a piece of prosphora (this especially applies to the great agiasma (water blessed on the eve and on the very day of the Epiphany) and sprinkled on your home.

A special property of holy water is that, added even in small quantities to ordinary water, it imparts beneficial properties to it, therefore, in case of a shortage of holy water, it can be diluted with plain water.

Although it is advisable - out of reverence for the shrine - to take Epiphany water on an empty stomach, but for a special need for God's help - during illnesses or attacks by evil forces - you can and should drink it without hesitation, at any time. With reverent attitude, holy water remains fresh and pleasant to the taste for a long time. It should be stored in a separate place, better nearby with a home iconostasis.

And yet, despite the long-standing tradition of collecting Epiphany water, many superstitions and myths still hover around it. We will try to dispel some of them.

The blessing of water is performed according to one rite (the same) on both January 18 and 19. Therefore, it makes no difference when you take the water - January 18 or 19, both of them are Epiphany water.

On the day of the Epiphany of the Lord, having plunged into an ice font or doused yourself with water, can one consider oneself baptized and wear a cross?

No, dipping into an ice hole and dousing oneself is not enough to consider oneself baptized. You must come to the temple for the priest to perform the Sacrament of Baptism.

Is it possible to add holy water to ordinary water when bathing a child?

When bathing children, there is no need to add holy water to the bath: after all, holy water can only be poured into a special place that is not trampled underfoot.

Is it possible to throw away the glass bottle in which holy water was stored? trash can? If not, what to do with it?

It is better to continue to store holy water in this bottle, but if this does not work, then it needs to be dried and then thrown away.

Is it possible to give holy water to animals? If not, why not? After all, they are also creatures of God.

It all depends on the specific situation. Based on the literal interpretation of the words of the Lord: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces” (Matthew 7:6), without special need, one should not give holy things to animals . At the same time, in church practice there are cases when, during a pestilence, animals were sprinkled and given holy water. The reasons for such daring must be extremely serious indeed.

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

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

Can I be doused with holy water if I think I've been jinxed?

Holy water is not bathing water, and belief in the evil eye is superstition. You can drink holy water, you can sprinkle yourself with it, you can sprinkle your house and things with it. If you live according to God’s commandments, often visit church for confession and communion, pray and observe the fasts established by the Church, then the Lord Himself will protect you from everything bad.

Can the Grace of God leave baptismal water and consecrated objects because of our sins, or is it impossible?

It all depends on how a person treats holy water and consecrated objects, and whether he reverently keeps the shrine he receives. If yes, then there is no reason to worry; the grace received during sanctification will benefit the person spiritually and physically. And in order for the Lord to protect from all evil, we must live according to the commandments of God.