Epiphany. Preparation for the holiday. Epiphany Christmas Eve. How to do it and what needs to be done? What is the difference between Christmas Eve and baptism?

Until the 5th century, it was customary to remember the birth and baptism The Son of God on one day - January 6, and this holiday was called Theophany - Epiphany, which spoke of the incarnation of Christ into the world and the appearance of the Trinity in the waters of the Jordan. The celebration of the Nativity of Christ was moved to December 25 (according to the Julian calendar, or old style) later, in the 5th century. This was the beginning of a new church phenomenon - Christmastide, ending with Vespers, or Christmas Eve, the feast of Epiphany.

Word forever means the eve of a church celebration, and the second name - Christmas Eve (or nomad) is associated with the tradition on this day of cooking wheat broth with honey and raisins -.

Due to the importance of the event that took place on the coming day in the life of Jesus Christ, the Church established a fast. This is where the tradition of cooking sochivo came from, which is not mandatory, but is so convenient that it has become a tradition everywhere. Of course, these days not everyone has such an opportunity, but it is still necessary to observe fasting: “As we are nourished by God’s Grace, we will be freed from covetousness,” the Typikon tells us. Covetousness is understood as everything that is consumed beyond need, and let everyone’s conscience be the criterion here.

Believers determine the extent of fasting individually, according to the strength and blessing of their confessor. On this day, as on , they do not eat food until the candle is taken out after the Liturgy in the morning and the first communion of baptismal water is received.

On Christmas Eve after the liturgy, great things happen in churches. 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. This water is called Agiasma, or simply Epiphany water. Under the influence of the Jerusalem Charter, from the 11th-12th centuries, the blessing of water occurs twice - both on Epiphany Eve and directly on the feast of Epiphany. Consecration on both days takes place in the same manner, so the water blessed on these days is no different.

There is a pious tradition of sprinkling your home on this day while singing the troparion of Epiphany. Epiphany water is consumed on an empty stomach in small quantities all year round, usually together with a piece of prosphora, “so that we can receive strength from God that supports health, heals illnesses, drives away demons and turns away all the slander of the enemy.”

At the same time, the prayer is read: “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 boundless mercy through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen". In case of illness or attacks by evil forces, you can and should drink water without hesitation at any time.

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.

We must not forget that consecrated water is a church shrine, which has been touched by the grace of God and which requires a reverent attitude. With a reverent attitude, holy water does not spoil for many years. It should be stored in a separate place, preferably next to the home iconostasis.

Read also:

Epiphany- one of the main holidays of the Orthodox Church. Done on January 6/January 19 (NS). We offer our readers a selection of materials about feast of the Epiphany.

The Bible on Baptism and Epiphany

At the time when John the Baptist preached on the banks of the Jordan and baptized people, Jesus Christ turned thirty years old. He also came from Nazareth to the Jordan River to John to receive baptism from him. John considered himself unworthy to baptize Jesus Christ and began to restrain Him, saying: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered him: “Leave now,” that is, do not hold Me back now, “because this is how we need to fulfill all righteousness” - to fulfill everything in the Law of God and set an example for people. Then John obeyed and baptized Jesus Christ. After the baptism was performed, when Jesus Christ came out of the water, the heavens suddenly opened up (opened) above Him; and John saw the Spirit of God, who in the form of a dove descended on Jesus, and from heaven the voice of God the Father was heard: “ This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased».

Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy. "God's Law"

Theology. Sermons

- Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov)
- His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
- Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
- Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
- Why did Jesus even need this baptism in the Jordan, which He did not need at all?
- schema abbot Savva (Ostapenko)
- How did they celebrate Epiphany in Rus'? Why is the ecclesiastical and pagan mixed in the folk tradition?
- about the service of Epiphany
— Metropolitan Filaret (Voznesensky)

The Feast of the Epiphany is also called Epiphany, since the Holy Trinity first appeared to the world on this day - God the Father proclaimed the Son from heaven, the Son received Baptism in the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on the Son.

All four Gospels testify to this: “... Jesus came in those days from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John, and when he came out of the water, John immediately saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him. And a voice came from heaven : “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Sputnik Georgia asked about the history of the Epiphany holiday and what traditions, customs and signs are associated with it in Orthodoxy.

Epiphany

Christians have been celebrating the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ from the prophet John the Baptist in the Jordan River since ancient times.

One of the very first Christian holidays began to be celebrated during the lifetime of the apostles - it is mentioned in the apostolic decrees and rules. Until the 4th century, Epiphany and Christmas were a single holiday called Epiphany.

On Epiphany, in the first centuries of Christianity, converts were baptized - they were called catechumens. As a sign that the Sacrament of Baptism cleanses a person from sin and enlightens him with the Light of Christ, this day was often called the “day of Enlightenment”, “Feast of Lights”, or “holy Lights”. The custom of blessing water in reservoirs existed even then.

The separate celebration of the Nativity of Christ and the Baptism of the Lord was first introduced around 377 in the Church of Constantinople. Later, the custom of celebrating the Nativity of Christ on December 25 spread from Constantinople throughout the Orthodox East.

On Epiphany Eve there is a strict fast, and, in principle, you are not supposed to eat until the water is blessed. This is the first day of fasting, in fact, after Christmas, since before that the church celebrates Christmastide, when there is no fasting.

In some Eastern churches, the ancient combination of holidays remains. For example, Armenians continue to celebrate Christmas and Epiphany on the same day - January 6th.

The meaning of the feast of the Epiphany is explained in liturgical texts as follows: the Lord accepted baptism for the salvation of people, not for His own purification, which He did not need. The modern Sacrament of Baptism gives the grace of God because the water of baptism is sanctified by the Lord.

Traditions

Agiasma or Epiphany water is one of the main shrines - in Orthodox churches the Great Blessing of Water is celebrated annually on Epiphany and on the eve of the holiday - on Epiphany Christmas Eve.

The tradition of blessing water on the eve of the holiday is believed to date back to the ancient Christian practice of Epiphany after the morning service of Epiphany of the Catechumens.

The Blessing of Water on the feast of the Epiphany is associated with the custom of Christians of the Jerusalem Church to march to the Jordan, to the traditional place of the baptism of Jesus Christ, on the day of Epiphany.

The special healing properties of holy water, which replenish the mental and physical strength of a person who receives it with faith, were noticed in the ancient Church.

And today, after a special prayer service, during which the healing grace of the Holy Spirit is invoked on the water, according to tradition, believers in the church drink Epiphany water, wash their faces with it, fill their bottles with agiasma and take them home.

The supply of holy water, which should be kept in the home of every Christian, is replenished by believers once a year. A special property of agiasma is that when added in small quantities even to ordinary water, it imparts beneficial properties to it, so Epiphany water can be diluted with plain water in case of its shortage.

Customs and rituals

The traditions and rituals of this holiday go back to ancient times. The holiday of Epiphany ended with Christmastide, which was a period “without the cross” according to popular belief, since Jesus Christ, who was born recently, had not yet been baptized.

On this day, the “terrible evenings” also ended, during which otherworldly forces walked freely in the human world. On Epiphany Eve it was believed that this evil spirit became especially dangerous. Accordingly, many rituals and traditions in the old days were carried out with the goal of cleansing themselves of evil spirits and closing the boundaries between the living and the dead.

People prepared for the feast of the Epiphany very carefully - they put the house in perfect order, swept and washed the floors, because they believed that the devils could hide in the rubbish.

They fumigated with incense smoke, sprinkled with holy water and drew crosses with chalk in all places where evil spirits could hide - corners, windows, doors, cellar, oven, outbuildings and gates.

People sat down at the festive table with prayer when the first star lit up in the sky. On Epiphany Christmas Eve dinner, which consisted of Lenten dishes, had its own name - “hungry kutya”.

The whole family gathers at the festive table, just like before Christmas - in the old days it was believed that if all generations of the same family gathered together, then the large family would live the entire next year in the same composition, and, most importantly, in health.

Kutia and uzvar were always served on the festive table, as well as fish, dumplings, pancakes, vegetables and baked goods. According to tradition, after dinner, to ensure a good year for bread, all the spoons were put into one bowl, which was covered with bread.

To find out their future, people listened to the cattle on the night of Epiphany, because they believed that on Epiphany Eve, domestic animals acquired the ability to speak human language.

Epiphany Christmas Eve was also the last day on which Christmas fortune-telling was carried out - on this night young people held their last gatherings with fortune-telling, games and songs.

According to tradition, girls wondered about their betrothed, about the future - on this night the same rituals are suitable for fortune-telling as on Christmas Eve before Christmas and the Old New Year.

Other traditions and customs

On the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, in the morning we went to church, where after mass they blessed the water with the Great Rite. The blessing of water is carried out in the same manner both on the eve and on the day of the holiday, so the water blessed on these days is no different.

Then the whole family had a meal - on the festive table, according to tradition, 12 different dishes were served - porridge generously flavored with butter, jellied meat, baked pork, sausage, pancakes and so on. By the way, in some places in Rus' they prepared “square” pancakes so that “there would be money in the house.”

After the meal, the whole family together thanked the Almighty for the bread present on the table, and went to “let go” of the Christmas holidays - they released a white dove from the cage.

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During all the holidays before the Epiphany, women tried not to go for water, as this was considered a purely male job, and did not rinse their clothes in the river, because they believed that devils were sitting there and they could cling to them.

At the Epiphany of the Lord, women always put viburnum or coral in a vessel with holy water and washed themselves so that their cheeks were rosy.

On Epiphany, the girls also tried to find out their fate - from the very morning of the holiday they went out onto the road and waited for a passerby. If a healthy, economical man passed first, it meant that they would soon meet their soul mate. Well, what if a child or old man- they will not meet their loved one in the near future.

Signs

In the old days, people used Epiphany signs, including those related to the weather, to find out what the coming year would bring them and what harvest awaited them.

A snowstorm on Epiphany means there will be a harvest. If the branches on the trees are bent by snow, there will be a good harvest, bees will swarm well. Little snow on the tree branches indicated that there would be few mushrooms and berries in the summer.

The snowstorm also indicated that it would be cold on Maslenitsa, and strong southern winds predicted a stormy summer.

The old people predicted the fertility of the lambs if the stars sparkled and burned on Epiphany evening.

The starry sky on Epiphany night is a sure sign that spring will be early, and summer and autumn will be very warm and rainy.

Spring can begin with heavy floods and river floods if the Epiphany coincides with the full moon.

A calm year without any unpleasant shocks is predicted by calm weather and clear skies on the feast of the Epiphany. This sign indicates that you can safely start something new - build a house, open your own business or start a family. Accordingly, all carefully considered decisions will bring only positive results.

Heavy snow cover or snowfall is good sign, which indicated that no terrible epidemics or diseases were expected until the next Epiphany.

And rain or very strong winds on Epiphany indicated that the coming year would be very turbulent both politically and economically.

On the night of Epiphany, a silver bowl was placed on the table, filled with water. At exactly midnight, the water should ripple, and whatever wish you have time to shout over the bowl at that moment will come true.

The girls collected Epiphany snow and ice in an open field, which they used to wipe their faces so that it would be white and ruddy.

The material was prepared based on open sources

It was the first twelfth holiday of the new year. Orthodox people, out of respect for the great event - the Baptism of Jesus Christ - observed a short fast. For this reason, the second Christmas Eve was called “Hungry Kutya”.

Epiphany Christmas Eve: what is it?

Epiphany Christmas Eve (January 18) is a day of strict fasting and repentance. Fasting prepared believers for the feast of the Epiphany, which was always distinguished by pomp and solemnity. The blessing of water occupies a central place in it. Two rites of consecration of water are performed: one on the eve of the holiday - inside the temple, the other - on the day of Epiphany - at the nearest reservoir.

It is believed that Epiphany water gives health, sanctification, blessing and purification. On Epiphany at midnight we went to the river to fetch water. There is a belief that at this time the water in the rivers sways. Water was poured into the bowl in the evening, and at midnight it was supposed to sway on its own. If this happened, then this is a good sign - it means that the person saw the appearance of the Lord.

On Epiphany evening they collected snow. It is believed that it heals diseases. It was used for washing, so the water from it was stored for a long time. It was also believed that only with its help can the entire canvas be whitened as needed. Snow was also collected for the bathhouse: “ The snow bath will add beauty" They believed that if the snow collected that evening was thrown into a well, the water in it would not deteriorate or dry out throughout the year.

Epiphany Christmas Eve: traditions and customs

On the eve of Epiphany, a strict fast was observed. Therefore, the festive dinner on Epiphany Eve was nicknamed “hungry kutya”. Kutya, oatmeal jelly and pancakes were always present on the festive table. At Epiphany, pancakes were carried to the barn for the brownie to ensure the well-being of the livestock. The peasants ate pancakes so that there would be a good grain harvest in the coming year.

In the evening it was customary to eat juice. Until the beginning of the 20th century in Rus', this dish (like kutya) was prepared mainly from rye grains, and later from rice and wheat grains. That is why many city residents are more familiar with kutya and sochivo, made from rice.

To make it juicy, there are several surefire ways. First, the wheat grains are soaked, and then they are placed in a cast iron pot and filled with a large amount of water. The cast iron is put into the oven for 2.5-3 hours of simmering. After which the grains turn out soft and tasty. It is also very important to quickly pour hot, well-fed (a solution of honey and water) over the grains. Then the juice turns out really juicy.

“Sochivo”: recipe for making wheat

To prepare the dish you will need:

1 cup wheat grains;
100 g walnut kernels;
100 g poppy seeds;
1-3 tbsp. spoons of honey;
sugar to taste.

Wheat grains need to be crushed in a wooden mortar using a wooden pestle, while periodically adding a little warm water so that the wheat shell comes off. The kernel is then separated from the husk, sifted and washed. The usual crumbly liquid lean porridge is cooked from pure grains in water, cooled and sugar is added to taste.

Separately, grind the poppy seeds to obtain milk of the poppy seeds, add honey, mix and add to the wheat. If the porridge turns out thick, it can be diluted with boiled chilled water. At the end you need to add crushed walnut kernels.

“Sochivo”: rice recipe

If you want to make sochivo from rice, then the rice must be prepared in a special way. Pour a glass of rice into one and a half glasses of boiling water, cover the pan tightly with a lid, cook the rice for 3 minutes. high fire and 6 – on average. Do not open the lid for another 12 minutes and allow the rice to steam. For sweetening, it is better to use only honey. The ratio of other components for sochi is the same as in the previous recipe. Sometimes raisins are added, but this is not necessary.

Epiphany Christmas Eve: signs and beliefs

“Epiphany Evening” was considered a time of rampant evil spirits. During this period, it is possible to communicate with another world and evil, which strives to enter the home as a werewolf in any guise: dogs, cats, snakes, pigs. But often werewolves enter a house in the guise of a baby, a wanderer, a miller, a blacksmith, or they can take the form of an acquaintance - a relative or neighbor.

Ideas about werewolves go back to ancient times. They are associated with the belief that shamans or sorcerers have the ability to take the form of an animal, a person, a plant, and even a stone. The belief in the existence of werewolves developed under the influence of the idea of the animation of all nature (animism), the origin of people from various animals (totemism), and the cult of fertility.

The Slavs divided the year into two halves - winter and summer. The off-season periods - autumn and spring - were considered “the times between times.” At this time, nature is on the verge of life and death. Our ancestors believed that during periods of “between times,” which also include midnight and noon, spirits and souls are especially active. According to the belief of the ancients, during these periods of time people, having changed their appearance, can visit another world and come into contact with evil spirits, to their detriment or benefit. A person only had to put on the skin of some animal or decorate himself with other attributes of nature, and he, while remaining human, at the same time turned into another creature or object, being at the same time “neither one nor the other.”

Over time, the idea developed in people's minds that some people are more capable of such transformations, while others are less capable. Those who are more capable are able to quickly and directly contact the forces of nature, either benefiting people or harming them. Based on these thoughts, the belief in werewolves arose.

Our ancestors believed that wolves that attack people in cold winters are “wolves” (people who can turn into wolves with the help of witchcraft). In Slavic mythology, volkolak, vurkolak, volkodlak are a werewolf, i.e. a person who can turn into a wolf. To do this, he had to somersault over a stump or a knife or aspen stake stuck in the ground. People believed that a person could be bewitched and turned not only into a wolf, but also into a bear, which could then turn into a cat, a dog or a stump. The main feature of a werewolf is the fur on its body. It differs from real wolves in that its hind legs bend forward at the knees, like a human's. According to ancient legends, werewolves are capable of turning into ghouls, and during an eclipse they can eat the sun or moon.

To protect against a werewolf entering the home, cross marks were placed in chalk on all doors and window frames. From time immemorial, the cross has been considered a reliable protection against everything demonic. Therefore, in the old days, on Epiphany Christmas Eve, crosses were always drawn with chalk on the doors, walls, lintels of buildings (house, barn, barn, etc.), and at wells crosses were laid out from wood chips. It was believed that this ritual would help protect the house from troubles, the evil eye, evil spirits and lightning.

Chalk for baptizing houses together with water was blessed in the church. In whitewashed huts, crosses were made with coal or turpentine. To protect cattle from everything bad, they sprinkled them with holy water. They believed that if this was not done, the evil spirits would greatly torment the animals.

On the eve of Epiphany, cattle were fed bread with a cross on the top crust. In the southern regions, the owner often performed a ritual walk around the cattle in the yard with an ax in his hands, and then threw the ax over the animals gathered together.

According to Orthodox people, on Epiphany and on the eve of the holiday, not only consecrated water, but in general any water drawn from natural sources and even snow. It is believed that such water can remain in a closed vessel for several years and not deteriorate. Epiphany water was sprinkled on hives and livestock was given water so that they would reproduce better and not get sick.

On Epiphany Eve, women collected snow, which was used to treat various diseases and to whiten canvases. Snow collected in the field was lowered into a well to store water throughout the year.

Signs on Epiphany Christmas Eve

If there is a snowstorm on this day, then take revenge on it in 3 months. Another snowstorm on Golodnaya Kutya indicates that bees will swarm well.
Dogs bark a lot on this day, which means there will be a lot of game.
If it snows in the morning, buckwheat will produce well.
A clean and clear sky on Epiphany night means a rich pea harvest.
The stars shine brightly - the bread will be good.
A full month on Epiphany Eve means high water in the spring.
If there are no stars in the sky, then mushrooms will not grow.

Epiphany Christmas Eve: fortune telling

Epiphany is the last night of Christmas fortune-telling. The girls went out of the gate to cast a spell on the first person they met:

meet young guy- to get married soon;
meeting an old man is not good.

They wondered about the harvest. According to legend, frost on Epiphany night falls on those grains that will be harvested next summer, and those whose harvest will be poor will remain dry. To do this, they put different grains in cups outside at night, and in the morning they examined them: whichever frost fell on, that one would be born.

On Epiphany Christmas Eve you can tell fortunes for the fulfillment of a wish. To do this, in the evening, light a candle in front of the icons and pray, asking the higher powers for patronage and protection. Then, on a separate sheet of paper, write down one of your wishes. There should be no more than ten of them in total. Desires must be feasible and real. Before going to bed, place the leaves under your pillow.

In the morning, wash yourself three times with Epiphany water and say:

“Let your wish come true on a magical night,

Everything good that you dream about will never be forgotten.

On the evening of January 18, Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany Christmas Eve. The eve of the day of the Baptism of the Lord God or Epiphany is called Christmas Eve. As often happens in Rus', pagan traditions are closely intertwined with Orthodox rituals. There is a lot connected with Epiphany Christmas Eve folk signs and believe. In the old days, for example, a bowl of water was placed on the table to witness the Baptism of the Lord. At the same time they said: “at night the water itself will sway,” - this was a sign. If at midnight the water in the bowl really swayed, they ran to see the “open heavens” - whatever you pray to the open sky will come true. According to legends, on the night before Epiphany, evil spirits come out. That is why in Rus' it was customary to swim in ice holes on Christmas Eve in order to protect oneself from evil spirits.

In the villages, on Epiphany, old women and girls collected snow from stacks. Old women - in order to bleach canvas, it was believed that only this snow could make it snow-white. And girls - in order to whiten their skin and become more beautiful. They believed that after washing herself with this snow, a girl becomes very attractive. In addition, according to legend, Epiphany snow could even store water in dry wells for the whole year. Snow collected on Epiphany evening was considered healing and was used to treat various ailments.

Epiphany Christmas Eve is a strict fast. On this day they fasted and ate juices, i.e. lean porridge, vegetable pancakes, honey pancakes, baked juices with berries. Kutia was prepared from rice, honey and raisins. In general, everything vegetable is suitable for food, porridge, tea, compote, bread. But everything is very modest.

Also, according to tradition, on the eve of this holiday, everyone cleans their houses especially carefully, trying to sweep away all the dust that has accumulated even in the farthest corners.

Despite the abundance of all kinds of rituals and traditions, rooted in the pagan past, our people have always considered the religious side of the holiday more important. Therefore, they still tried to spend most of Christmas Eve in the temple.

Epiphany Christmas Eve is an evening of preparation before the big day. Orthodox holiday, which is called the Epiphany of the Lord's Baptism. This festival Orthodox Church, belongs to the Twelve. Celebrated on January 6th Art. Art. (January 19 new century). On this day, the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist (Baptist) in the Jordan River is remembered. (The Greek word, translated into Slavic and then Russian by the word “baptism,” should more accurately be translated by the word “immersion.” John’s Baptism was actually a cleansing wash. Christian baptism is understood as taking on the cross). The baptism of John the Baptist had the meaning of a spiritually cleansing action. Therefore, when Jesus Christ came to be baptized, John began to hold Him back, saying: “I need to be baptized by You.” The Feast of Epiphany is also called the Feast of Epiphany - since on this day God revealed Himself clearly to the world in the three persons of His Divinity: God the Son - Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, God the Father testified to Jesus Christ with a voice from heaven . The all-night vigil of the Feast of Epiphany consists of Great Compline, Litia, Matins and the first hour.

On this day the first Great Blessing of water will take place - Agiasma. Water will be blessed in temples, wells, rivers and lakes. If a person for some serious reason cannot go to service or lives a thousand kilometers from the nearest church, he can resort to healing power simple water taken from an ordinary reservoir on Epiphany night, although such water cannot actually be considered holy. On the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, water in churches is consecrated according to a special rite - the great Jordanian consecration and is called Epiphany. There is a Greek word - " agiasma", it is translated as shrine. And the attitude towards it, towards the great shrine, should be special.

She eats it on an empty stomach, a spoonful at a time, a little at a time. The man stood up, crossed himself, asked the Lord for a blessing for the day that had begun, washed, prayed and accepted the great agiasma. If the medicine is prescribed to be taken on an empty stomach, then holy water is taken first, followed by the medicine. And then breakfast and other things to do. Devotees of Christian piety call consecrated water the best cure for all spiritual and physical ailments. Often confessors “prescribe” Epiphany water to their sick children - a spoonful every hour, with faith, of course, but without faith, drink at least half a canister. You can wash the patient with it and sprinkle the bed with it. True, women are not blessed to take Epiphany water on critical days. But this is if the woman is otherwise healthy. And if she is sick, then even this circumstance does not matter. May Epiphany water help her!

It is believed that holy water does not spoil, so there is no need to put it in the refrigerator. Orthodox Christians keep it in the Red Corner, next to the icons. In addition, a drop of shrine sanctifies the sea. You can take ordinary, unconsecrated water and add a drop of Epiphany water to it, and it will all be sanctified.

When taking or receiving holy water, it is strictly forbidden to quarrel, swear, or indulge in ungodly actions or thoughts. As a result, holy water loses its holiness and often simply spills.

In view of the importance of the event that took place on the coming day in the life of Jesus Christ, the Church established a strict fast, allowing only soch to be eaten. On this day they usually eat lean porridge (sochivo), vegetables, tea, compote, and bread. The main thing is that everything should be modest, without excesses. Sochivo was usually prepared from rice, honey and raisins.

A special feature of the Divine service of this holiday is the great consecration of water, performed on Christmas Eve, after the liturgy. In some churches, the blessing of water also takes place on rivers, springs and lakes, where the clergy go out in a religious procession, which is called the procession to the Jordan, in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.

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On January 18, Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany Eve. As often happens in Rus', pagan traditions are closely intertwined with Orthodox rituals.

There are many folk signs and beliefs associated with Epiphany Eve. In the old days, for example, a bowl of water was placed on the table to witness the Baptism of the Lord. At the same time they said: “at night the water itself sways,” - this was a sign. If at midnight the water in the bowl really swayed, they ran to see the “open heavens” - whatever you pray to the open sky will come true.

Epiphany Christmas Eve is also a strict fast. On this day they fasted and ate juices, i.e. lean porridge, vegetable pancakes, honey pancakes, baked juices with berries. Kutia was prepared from rice, honey and raisins. In general, everything vegetable is suitable for food, porridge, tea, compote, bread. But everything is very modest.

Epiphany Christmas Eve is an evening of preparation before the great Orthodox holiday called Epiphany. This holiday of the Orthodox Church belongs to the twelfth. On this day, the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist (Baptist) in the Jordan River is remembered.

The Greek word, translated into Slavic and then Russian by the word “baptism,” should more accurately be translated by the word “immersion.” John's Baptism was actually a cleansing wash. Christian baptism is understood as taking on the cross. The baptism of John the Baptist had the meaning of a spiritually cleansing action. Therefore, when Jesus Christ came to be baptized, John began to hold Him back, saying: “I need to be baptized by You.” The Feast of Epiphany is also called the Feast of Epiphany - since on this day God revealed Himself clearly to the world in three persons of His Divinity: God the Son - Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, God the Father testified to Jesus Christ with a voice from heaven . The all-night vigil of the Feast of Epiphany consists of Great Compline, Litia, Matins and the first hour.

On the day of the holiday and on the day of Epiphany Eve, the Great Blessing of Water is performed. In the courtyards of churches there are long lines for holy water. If for some serious reason a person cannot go to service or lives a thousand kilometers from the nearest church, he can resort to the healing power of simple water taken from an ordinary reservoir on Epiphany night, although such water cannot actually be considered holy. On the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, the water in churches is consecrated according to a special rite - the great Jordanian consecration and is called Epiphany. There is such a Greek word - “agiasma”, it is translated as shrine. And the attitude towards it, towards the great shrine, should be special. She eats it on an empty stomach, a spoonful at a time, a little at a time. The man stood up, crossed himself, asked the Lord for a blessing for the day that had begun, washed, prayed and accepted the great agiasma. If the medicine is prescribed to be taken on an empty stomach, then first take holy water, followed by the medicine. And then breakfast and other things to do. Devotees of Christian piety call consecrated water the best cure for all spiritual and physical ailments. Often confessors “prescribe” Epiphany water to their sick children - a spoonful every hour, with faith, of course, but without faith, drink at least half a canister. You can wash the patient with it and sprinkle the bed with it. True, women are not blessed to take Epiphany water on critical days. But this is if the woman is otherwise healthy. And if she is sick, then even this circumstance does not matter. May Epiphany water help her!
It is believed that holy water does not spoil, so there is no need to put it in the refrigerator. Orthodox Christians keep it in the Red Corner, next to the icons. In addition, a drop of shrine sanctifies the sea. You can take ordinary, unconsecrated water and add a drop of Epiphany water to it, and it will all be sanctified.

When taking or receiving holy water, it is strictly forbidden to quarrel, swear, or indulge in ungodly actions or thoughts. As a result, holy water loses its holiness and often simply spills.

Holiday calendar in January

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