Epiphany 2022 is celebrated on January 19. This is a great twelveth holiday in Orthodoxy. In the church calendar, it is called the Baptism of the Lord (Holy Epiphany). Epiphany ends the Christmas period.
history of the holiday
The Epiphany holiday is dedicated to the events of 2000 years ago that took place on the Jordan River. The rite of cleansing from sins was performed there by John the Baptist. The people call him John the Baptist. When Jesus was 30 years old, he went to the Jordan River and asked John to baptize him.
After the ceremony, the sky opened and the holy spirit descended on Jesus Christ, in the form of a white dove. And the voice of God sounded, testifying that Jesus is his son. Therefore, the second name of the holiday is Epiphany. Then the Trinity appeared to the world: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Epiphany began to be celebrated in the 2nd - 3rd centuries AD… Initially, Christmas and Epiphany were celebrated at the same time. From the 4th century onwards, the holidays were divided. Christmas is celebrated on January 7, baptism on January 19.
Traditions and rituals of the holiday
Epiphany is the last big holiday before strict Great Lent. On this day, Christmas Eve ends.Festive services are held in Orthodox churches:
- Christmas Eve - the day before;
- Liturgy on the day of the Epiphany;
- Service to the Cathedral of John the Baptist the next day after Epiphany.
The water is illuminated twice. First time on Christmas Eve. Water is consecrated in the temple. The second is on the holiday itself. There is a religious procession to the nearest reservoir, in which an ice-hole was cut in advance - the Jordan.
The priest reads prayers over the water, then lowers a silver cross into it. After that, the water in the hole is considered consecrated, you can dip.
On Epiphany, people attend services at which they perform the sacrament of communion with Epiphany water. On the night of January 19, an all-night vigil is held in the churches, which turns into the morning liturgy. People bring holy water home, sprinkle it on the corners of the rooms in order to protect the home and family members from evil spirits.
On the night of January 19, it is customary to make wishes.
On a festive day, families gather around a lush table full of various goodies. There is no post on January 19.
Baptism completes the period of Christmas carols and fortune-telling. On this day, people clean up and hide New Year's and Christmas decorations until next year. Housewives collect the hay that they put under the tablecloth for Christmas and give it to the pets.
An important attribute of the holiday is swimming in the ice-hole.
Bathing for Epiphany
The Orthodox Church opposed the celebration of Christmastide, at which people sinned by turning to evil spirits in the rituals of dressing up and fortune-telling, taking their roots from pagan times. The faces of the clergy made a compromise by inventing a bathing ceremony for Epiphany. For this, an ice-hole is made in natural reservoirs - a Jordan, which the priest consecrates by lowering a cross into it. It is believed that one who plunges into Jordan three times will be cleansed from sins. Bathing for Epiphany is gaining popularity not for the purpose of spiritual cleansing, but as a hardening process.
Orthodox believers have certain traditions associated with this holiday. So, it is believed that the water for Baptism acquires special healing properties. Therefore, it is customary to recruit it "in reserve", as well as to swim in specially arranged reservoirs. Bathing takes place after a prayer service for the consecration of water, conducted by a priest, in a specially prepared ice-hole called "Jordan". They immerse themselves in it three times, crossing themselves with their heads.Note that the expediency of swimming in an ice-hole on a frosty winter day is questioned by some.Swimming in the ice hole for Epiphany in 2022, oron the night from January 18, 2022 to January 19, 2022 (from Tuesday to Wednesday), orduring the day 01/19/2022.Properties of baptismal water
The Orthodox Church calls the baptismal water the great Agiasma (Shrine). Agiasma is able to stay fresh and not spoil throughout the year. Parishioners consecrate water in churches during services. If you cannot go to the church or the place of residence is far from its location, then you can prepare water from any natural reservoir as Epiphany water. It is believed that on this day all water has miraculous properties.
In some regions, priests visit the homes of their parishioners and sprinkle them with the great Agiasma. This ritual helps to cleanse the house of evil spirits. Epiphany water is able to heal from diseases. The clergy recommend to use it on a spoon in the morning on an empty stomach with a piece of prosphora. In the villages on Epiphany, people give the livestock blessed water to drink. She helps them to endure the Epiphany frosts, to reproduce well and not get sick.
Fortune telling
On the night of Epiphany, a magical atmosphere reigns on earth. During this period, people ask higher powers to reveal the secret of the future. With the help of magical rites and rituals, they try to see upcoming events and receive signs of fate. Good predictions instill hope and faith in a happy future, and bad ones should not be given special attention. The main attribute for performing fortune-telling is the water consecrated in the church. People believe that she is endowed with magic and is able to help establish a connection with the heavenly forces.
What not to do at Epiphany
On January 19, it is forbidden to store holy water in huge quantities. On a holy day, you cannot quarrel, swear, lie, complain, gossip, and allow bad thoughts. It is undesirable to engage in heavy physical labor, to clean the house, wash, cut with scissors. It is not recommended to have a haircut, to do a manicure or pedicure, so as not to bring bad events to fate. You should not sew, knit, so as not to confuse your fate. It is forbidden to borrow money, otherwise the whole year will pass in debt. On this day, it is advisable not to overeat so that thoughts remain clear. On January 19, after the end of Epiphany Christmas Eve, it is forbidden to guess.
Signs and beliefs
- If the weather is sunny and frosty on January 19, the summer will be hot and fruitful.
- The couple who will be married at Epiphany will live a long and happy life together.
- On Epiphany night, heaven opens to the requests of people. If you pray for something, then the request will certainly come true.
- Anyone who is baptized on the day of the Holy Epiphany will live a long and happy life.
- If a young girl goes out on Epiphany morning and meets a young guy, she will get married this year. If the first person she meets is an elderly man, then she will be lonely all year.
January 19 is one of the main holidays of the Orthodox Church. On the night of Epiphany, people go to churches for all-night vigils, which end with the morning divine liturgy and the blessing of water. Epiphany water has miraculous powers. She is able to heal and protect from evil spirits.
Read also:
- Easter in 2022
- Lent in 2022
- Annunciation in 2022
