What can and cannot be done on Epiphany. Baptism of the Lord - traditions, customs, rituals, signs, congratulations What do they eat at baptism

In commemoration of this bright event, a holiday was approved, which is otherwise called the Epiphany. The event is celebrated annually on the same date.

• Epiphany rites and traditions
• Make a wish for Baptism
• Folk omens for baptism

When does the blessing of water take place?

Church holidays, as a rule, begin from the second half of the previous day. Therefore, in churches and temples, the consecration of water begins after the morning service during Epiphany Christmas Eve, the procedure continues on the day of the feast - January 19 at the end of the liturgy.

The clergy say that the water consecrated on Christmas Eve is in no way inferior in its miraculous powers to the water consecrated on the very day of Epiphany. Holy water can heal a person from fatal diseases, fulfill his innermost dreams, and bestow good luck.

The water consecrated in Baptism is used in small doses throughout the current year until the next feast. Holy water is sprinkled on the corners of the apartment to cleanse it of negativity, this liquid is able to fill the home with powerful positive energy. The consecrated liquid should be drunk in small sips, but pouring it under your feet and washing dirty objects on this day is highly undesirable.

Epiphany rites and traditions

The main world Christian tradition on the Epiphany feast is the solemn procession of the cross to the Jordan River, where Christ was baptized. On this day, Christians from all over the world gather and march to holy places, having reached the river, people bathe in its waters, being cleansed of sins and sinful thoughts.

But far from always a person has the opportunity to join the world procession. Therefore, in all Russian cities and villages, bathing is carried out in local rivers. Immersion is carried out in three steps, with each dive it is required to pronounce the words of the sacred text: “I plunge in the name of the Father; I dip in the name of the Son, I dip in the name of the Holy Spirit.” Those who do not have the courage and health to plunge into the icy water sprinkle themselves with holy liquid while saying prayers.
A special hole for swimming is called Jordan.

It is worth noting that dipping into Jordan is a folk, not a church tradition. The ministers of the church claim that any water on this sacred day becomes holy. Therefore, you can even wash yourself with ordinary tap water, while reading a prayer and believing with all your heart in liberation from sins.

Those who regularly bathe in Jordan at Baptism should not bear in mind the following rules:

You can start swimming after the evening service on January 18;
for safety reasons, diving is carried out only in special places equipped for this purpose, after the consecration ceremony has been performed;
before starting the dive, you should say the Our Father prayer;
immersion is carried out completely, together with the head, after which you should cross yourself three times;
it is advisable to purchase special shirts for swimming, you should not perform this procedure in shorts and bathing suits;
On the eve of the dive, it is recommended to eat well, but not to overeat; after the procedure, it is advisable to drink a cup of hot tea.

Not everyone can take a dip in ice cold water. There are some diseases that are a contraindication to such a procedure. You can not dive into the hole in the presence of a cold, hypertension, chronic skin diseases.

It is noted that the water on the day of the Epiphany becomes different, it is softer and more palatable. This applies not only to holy water, but also to any other, even the one that flows from the tap. Throughout the holiday, you can draw water directly from the tap, noting the improvement in its properties. On this day, the water becomes tastier and cleaner.

What to do on Epiphany and Epiphany Christmas Eve

The celebration of the Epiphany is accompanied by several rituals and traditions. It is very important to observe a strict fast on the day before the festival. Epiphany Christmas Eve comes on January 18, in the people this date is called "Hungry Kutia". On Christmas Eve, the only dish is kutia, made from cereals. You can not add butter or milk to it, it must be lean. Eating kutya is allowed only after sunset. Even water should be consumed at this time in a limited amount.

But on Christmas Eve, you should prepare for the celebration, and by Epiphany itself, at least 12 types of dishes should be on the table. Baptism is celebrated at a chicly laid table, on which meat dishes must be present.
Holy water brought from the church is necessary for sprinkling all the corners in the room, this procedure will save a person's family from illness and trouble for the whole year. It is believed that people baptized on January 19 are of good health, they live happily ever after. Theophany is an ideal holiday for reconciliation, if a person is in a quarrel with someone, then on this day you need to forget about disagreements and reconcile.

What not to do on the day of Epiphany

Baptism is a sacred holiday, on this bright day one cannot be discouraged, suffer and be sad, otherwise the whole year will be sad. On this day, such a quality as the forgiveness that Christ preached is highly valued, so it is very important to be able to forgive your offenders, you cannot be offended and quarrel on this great day.

On Epiphany you can not do dirty things related to water. Since any water on Epiphany is holy, there is no need to desecrate it, wash floors with it, and do laundry. For another three days after the celebration, water can retain its properties; it cannot be defiled at this time. It is better to postpone any work for this period.

You can guess on the eve of Epiphany, but it is not recommended to do this on the holy day itself. There is a belief that if you guess on Epiphany Day, you can guess fate not for the better. You should not read conspiracies on this day, the church is categorically against such actions, you should not go against its canons, especially on holy days.

You can not drink alcohol on a holy day, even if they are not strong. It is not recommended to use obscene words, any negativity should be driven away from oneself, especially before swimming in the hole.

Make a wish for Baptism

On the night of January 18-19, anyone can make a wish, if the plan is full of pure thoughts, then it will come true, because on this holy day heaven heeds the requests of sincerely believing people. In order for the Lord to hear the one who asks, his desires should not contain the desire to harm someone, you should not ask for material benefits, just as you should not demand undeserved honor from yourself.

Before making a wish, you need to read the Our Father prayer, standing in front of the icon, then you should make a request. If the request is pure and really necessary for the asker, it will be fulfilled.

Folk omens for baptism

There are several folk beliefs and baptismal signs that will help predict the weather and the future.

Our ancestors believed in the following signs:

On the night of Epiphany, you should look at the starry sky, bright stars indicate that the summer will be dry and spring will come early;
if Epiphany night falls on a new moon, there is a danger of spring floods, spring will come late, summer will be cool;
if severe frosts are observed on Epiphany, and they are stronger than Christmas ones, then the year will be fruitful;
Epiphany snow has healing properties;
if on the night of January 19, dogs bark loudly in the vicinity, this portends a successful financial year;
a lot of snow fell on the Epiphany holiday - the year will be bread.

In order to have a lot of happiness and love in personal life, from ancient times in Rus', weddings were played between Epiphany and Maslenitsa. A person born on Epiphany day will be healthy and happy.
All signs and beliefs have deep roots, the ancestors sacredly believed in them. But to believe in them or not is everyone's business. Epiphany is a holy holiday, which is better to meet with your friends and relatives.

The word "baptism" is translated from Greek as "immersion". Once upon a time, the Jews, according to the commandment of their God the Father, had to come to the Jordan River and wash away their sins in order to appear before the Messiah renewed and clean. For the first time this term is mentioned in the Bible in close connection with the name of John the Baptist. Further in the article, we will deal in detail with what needs to be done at the Epiphany of the Lord and how exactly this holiday is celebrated in Russia.

According to the plan of God the Father, before starting his journey dedicated to the salvation of the world, the Messiah, like all Jews, had to wash himself in the waters of the Jordan. To perform this sacrament, John the Baptist was sent to earth. When Jesus was 30 years old, he came to the Jordan River. At first, John the Baptist refused to perform the ceremony, considering himself unworthy. However, Jesus insisted, and the sacrament of Baptism was performed on him. When Christ came out of the water, the heavens opened up, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. In honor of this event, the church feast of the Epiphany is celebrated.

Fasting before baptism

First, let's see what needs to be done before Baptism. The 11 holidays of Christmas Eve preceding Theophany are considered fast according to church tradition. That is, at this time you can take any desired food. The last 12 days - the eve of the Epiphany itself - is fasting. On January 18, one should not eat fast food, and it is also necessary to pray fervently.

Water blessing before baptism

On the eve of the holiday, according to tradition, the church holds a very important preparatory sacrament. On the evening of January 18, at the end of the liturgy, the rite of blessing the water is performed. This tradition also has ancient roots. According to the ideas of the church, having entered the Jordan, Christ forever sanctified all the water on earth. However, since mankind continues to commit sins, periodic cleansing by the church is still necessary.

Therefore, it is possible to collect holy water even from the tap late in the evening of January 18th. The second great consecration of water takes place already on Theophany itself - during the procession.

How is the holiday

Now let's figure out what needs to be done at Baptism. Unlike Christmas, there are no noisy celebrations, songs and dances associated with this holiday. Almost all baptismal rites are based on the tradition of blessing water in lakes, ponds and rivers. Before Epiphany, a hole in the form of a cross breaks through the ice, in memory of past biblical events, it is called the Jordan. The church service in honor of the holiday begins at about 12 am on January 19 and continues until the morning. You can defend it, or you can just come to the hole in the morning. On Epiphany, priests and residents of a city or village gather around her. Usually, an ice hole is made on the body of water closest to the church or settlement. A procession is made around it, and then a prayer service is served. This is followed by the blessing of the water. Then believers collect it directly from the hole in the containers they brought with them. Epiphany water is considered healing. It is given to sick family members to drink, pets are treated for it, rooms are sprinkled. It is also believed that epiphany water is able to drive away evil spirits, remove the evil eye and damage.

What else needs to be done at Baptism? Modern believers, as in past centuries, very often plunge right into the hole, even despite the frost. Of course, it is not necessary to do this according to church traditions. Usually such a procedure is carried out only by sick people who want to be cured.

Of the healthy people, traditionally, only those who performed some fortune-telling, rituals or rituals dating back to pagan times at Christmas time are dipped into the hole. Consecrated water washes away all sins associated with communication with evil spirits.

Of course, you need to be a very brave person to decide to plunge into the ice hole in the cold. However, as has been noted by many, not one of those who have ever bathed in Baptism has ever fallen ill.

What to Do After Baptism

After the end of the ceremony, believers go home, taking with them what they collected from the hole into the water. What to do when you come home from church service? When you go home, you must first of all sprinkle all the corners in the room with the brought water. According to an old belief, such an action will help rid the home of negativity, bring order and peace to it. Those who live in the village should also sprinkle all outbuildings. It would be very good to pour some holy water into the well.

There is another rather interesting tradition. On the eve of Epiphany, especially believers buy a couple of doves somewhere. Coming from the service, they release the birds to freedom. This ceremony is held in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on Christ during his Baptism in the Jordan. If you have a soul to conduct such a ceremony, it will certainly also be an excellent answer to the question of what needs to be done at the Baptism of the Lord.

It is traditionally believed that the water in the hole, near which the procession was held, remains consecrated for another week after the holiday. If desired, you can plunge into it during this time to relieve illness and failure.

How not to behave

So, what needs to be done at Baptism and after it, we found out. A believer should fast on May 18, and go to church by 12 noon. Now let's see what to do on this holiday is absolutely impossible. Let's start with the fact that in Baptism you should not draw too much water from the hole. A jar or a couple of plastic bottles will suffice. You should also not quarrel or swear during the service, procession and prayer service. The collected water must be brought home and used only for treatment and removal of negativity. Do not dilute it with any other liquids. Including ordinary water. This is considered a bad omen. It is also worth knowing that, from very impious thoughts, the Epiphany water brought from the hole in the hole may lose all its healing properties after a while.

Sacrament of Baptism

What you need to do in the Baptism of the Lord, you now know. Next, consider what are the rules for the rite of acceptance of children into Christianity. Baptism, as already mentioned, originates from ancient times. Everyone who wants to become a Christian must go through this ceremony without fail. Small children are baptized very often these days. Therefore, further we will give some advice to parents on how to properly prepare for this sacrament, how to behave during it and how to do it after.

Preparation

Some time before the appointed day of the sacrament, godparents should be chosen for the baby. It can be absolutely any people, at the choice of parents, except:

• about to get married;
• young children;
• Gentiles;
• complete strangers;
• women who, at the time of the ceremony, should have critical days.

Before the sacrament, the chosen godparents must undergo a three-day fast. They also need to confess and take communion. The godmother traditionally buys a new shirt or undershirt for the baby, and the godfather buys a cross. Parents will have to purchase a rizka. This is the name of the christening diaper with lace, in which the child is taken after immersing him in the vat. Rizku after the ceremony is not erased. It is folded and put away in the closet. Traditionally, it should accompany a Christian all his life.

Among other things, parents and godparents should learn the "Symbol of Faith" prayer. In some churches, after baptism, the priests give it to be read from a piece of paper, but not in all. You can also make a "cheat sheet" in advance yourself.

Conducting the ceremony

Now let's see what needs to be done at the Baptism of a child? This sacrament passes in the following order:

• The priest asks questions to the child, for whom godparents should be responsible.
• Then he anoints the baby with oil.
• The actual rite of baptism takes place. The godfather should bring the girl to the font, the godmother should bring the boy.
• The second godfather takes the child from the hands of the priest after immersion and dresses him in a purchased shirt.
• The priest performs the chrismation.
• A strand of hair is cut from the baby's head. Subsequently, she is left in the church.
• At the final stage of the ceremony, the prayer "Symbol of Faith" is pronounced.

This is how a child is baptized. “What needs to be done?”, as you can see, the question is not too difficult. Parents just need to choose godparents and tell them what actions will be included in their duties during the ceremony.

What to do after baptism

After the child officially becomes an Orthodox Christian, he will need to receive communion regularly in the church. Until the age of seven, this rite is performed without confession. The very sacrament of Baptism of the child, of course, should end with a solemn feast at home.

This holiday is actually very important for all Christians without exception - Epiphany on January 19th. What you need to do on this day according to church tradition, you now know. We hope that our article will also help to properly prepare for the Baptism of a child. In any case, on such important sacred days, you should try to cast aside all negative thoughts and tune in only to the good.

Baptism is popularly called Epiphany and is celebrated annually on January 19, in 2018 this date falls on Friday. In Russia, this event is not classified as a non-working day, although it is an official holiday.

The ancient and revered by all Christians feast of the Baptism of the Lord is becoming one of the most anticipated events in the entire church year. Everyone who has ever heard of the Orthodox faith knows about this holiday, which is why it is not surprising that even in the modern world people continue to adhere to the strict canons of celebrating this wonderful day.

Epiphany 2018: The history of the holiday

This church holiday has been celebrated exactly since more than 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. It is believed that after the baptism itself, the holy spirit descended from heaven in the form of a white dove. All heard the voice of God, which said: “You are My Beloved Son; My favor is in you!" Starting from that day, Jesus began his earthly mission, which ended, as everyone knows, with the resurrection, which became the progenitor of the Easter holiday. After baptism, Jesus Christ went into the desert, where he remained for 40 days and nights, preparing himself for the fulfillment of his sacred duty.

Epiphany 2018: Traditions of the holiday. Do's and Don'ts

Over time, the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord has acquired a huge number of traditions that are sacredly revered by people to this day. Perhaps the most significant of them is the rite of bathing in the hole, the features of which should be known to everyone who wants to perform this action. Before bathing, a hole is cut through the ice, which is commonly called the Jordan in honor of the river in which Jesus was baptized. The priest dips the crucifix into the water and reads a prayer, which sanctifies this place for further rites. You should plunge three times with your head, after which it is customary to read a prayer and get out of the water. It would seem, why expose your body to such stress on days when the Russian winter is especially fierce? However, bathing in the hole at Epiphany is an ancient and wise tradition. It is believed that on this day, water in natural springs acquires special properties: after bathing in such water, not only diseases, ailments, evil eyes are washed away, but also sins, of which a lot could have accumulated by this moment ...

1. People with diseases of the heart, nervous and vascular systems, as well as pregnant women and children should not enter the water. This applies especially to the latter, because in childhood the process of thermoregulation has not yet been formed, which is why the child's body is at risk of getting serious complications.
2. You can not swim while intoxicated - because it is life-threatening!
3. You can have a hearty meal before diving, but at the same time - do not overeat, and after that - drink hot tea.

If you follow all the rules, then this procedure at the Baptism of the Lord will certainly have a beneficial effect on your well-being: both physical and spiritual.

Epiphany 2018: Tradition to collect Epiphany water

Of course, not everyone will be able to plunge into the hole on January 19, 2018, but at the same time, each of us will be able to collect holy baptismal water for ourselves, and we will tell you further how, where and when it is best to collect baptismal water.

It should be noted that the consecration of water in churches takes place both on January 18 on Epiphany Eve (after the Divine Liturgy), and on the feast of the Epiphany itself. On these two days, you can collect baptismal holy water, while there is no difference when it is collected in the temple - on January 18 or 19. If you decide to draw water from the tap, then, accordingly, the best period for this will be the period from 00:10 to 01:30, which falls on the night of January 18 to 19, while water you can also dial later, throughout the 19th (until 24:00).

It is forbidden to quarrel and do bad deeds when holy water is in the hands.

Baptism 2018: Signs

This holiday has many signs, both in relation to life and nature:

It is bad luck to dilute holy water;

Starting from Christmas Eve, it is not advised to lend money. Otherwise, the culprit may be short of money for a year;

You can not perceive the holiday, only as entertainment to plunge into the hole;

A good sign for Baptism is the completion of some business;

Any agreement on this day necessarily ends in success;

Nature at Baptism also says a lot:

Heavy snowfall and dark clouds at Epiphany portend a rich harvest in autumn;

Barking dogs at night is good news;

A cross painted on the doors can protect the house from evil spirits;

On holidays, nothing can be taken out of the house, otherwise there will be material losses.

The Baptism of the Lord will be celebrated by Orthodox Christians on January 19. Sputnik talks about categorical prohibitions and beneficial traditions of one of the main Orthodox holidays.

What to do on the Feast of Epiphany

It is worth starting a festive morning with a prayer so that diseases bypass you and your family, peace and prosperity reign in the circle of loved ones, and cherished dreams come true. The house must be sanctified with holy water.

The dreams that you manage to see on the night of January 18-19 are considered prophetic: they are worth remembering. It is very symbolic - to great happiness - to get married on this holiday and baptize children. And if you don’t do good deeds, then the created good will return a hundredfold.

On the eve of the holiday, believers fast. On the festive table on January 19, there must be traditional kutya made from wheat or rice with honey, raisins, poppy seeds and dried apricots, as well as uzvar, cereals, fish dishes, dumplings and muffins. According to tradition, you can break your fast only when the first star appears in the sky.

© Sputnik / Maria Amelina

Holy water collected for Baptism is kept all year round: you can sprinkle it on a house and drink it on an empty stomach (in particular, during illness or life's trials). By the way, it is not necessary to collect a whole canister: the clergy advise to collect a small bottle, and then dilute the water in a larger container and distribute it to relatives.

What not to do at the Baptism of the Lord

On a holiday, it is forbidden to work and do household chores: for example, wash clothes, clean the house, and even sew or knit. Even on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord, it is forbidden to guess: it is believed that you can negatively change your fate.

One of the baptismal signs is that any quarrel in the house can defile the holy water, so it is recommended to spend the holiday in a warm home environment and be sure to pray with your family. It is also impossible to shed tears on this day, otherwise there is a risk of crying bitterly until the very next Epiphany. It is also strictly forbidden to complain, gossip and slander even your most sworn enemies. It is also worth driving away bad thoughts from yourself at the time when you collect or drink holy water: it can lose its healing properties.

The Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on January 19. Most modern people, not to mention the representatives of the older generation, honor this great church holiday. Believers have no doubt: real miracles can happen on this day. Consecrated water becomes healing, the right food after fasting is only beneficial. And by taking communion, confessing to a priest, you will be able to cleanse not only your soul, but also your body for a whole year. But there are certain rules that must be observed at Baptism.

• Where without signs ...

Prepare for the holiday ahead of time

Be sure to prepare a festive kutya before Epiphany. It is done in an elementary way: rice or wheat acts as the main ingredient. Honey, raisins, prunes, dried apricots, poppy seeds are added to the dish. Sit down with all your household at the table on the evening of January 18th. Wait for the first star to appear, start eating. Then you can also eat fish dishes, dumplings, pancakes, rich products and a variety of cereals.

Go to church and bless the water. Spray it on every corner of your home. It is believed that in this way you will protect your home from all evil spirits. Give holy water to each member of the family to drink in order to protect relatives and friends from illness.

By the way, if you did not have time to go to the temple, you should not despair. You can draw water from any body of water on Epiphany night. It is believed that in all sources it acquires healing power.

And, of course, what is Baptism without swimming in the hole? No matter what the weather, even the frostiest, is, millions of people plunge into holy water on January 19. Just remember: church ministers do not recommend going to the fonts and diving into the hole without confession and communion. So go to the temple beforehand.




If you go swimming at Epiphany to the reservoirs from year to year, you probably noticed that a lot of people who suffer from various diseases gather near the ice holes. As we noted above, people believe that it is miraculous water that will help them heal from ailments. It is clear that many diseases do not leave the body "with a wave of a magic wand." But these people (as they themselves admit) begin to feel much better. Faith is sometimes much stronger than medicine.

Postpone things for another day

What can not be done at Baptism? Let's highlight the main points:

In no case do not drink alcoholic beverages on such a holiday (even the weakest ones). Especially if you are going to plunge into the ice hole. Not only is it contrary to religious rites. So also such relaxation can cause enormous harm to health, which doctors do not get tired of repeating;
Don't use swear words. Even negative thoughts drive away. Especially near the reservoir;
You can not shed tears on a holy holiday. Believers believe that, having cried at Baptism, you will be unhappy all year;
They don’t wash on holidays (so that, God forbid, they don’t pollute the water), they don’t do hard physical labor, they don’t knit or sew. Leave everything for later.




By the way, many of our compatriots (and not only!) Like to guess just at Epiphany. But the clergy do not take this very well: you can change your fate. But here, as they say, everyone is free to decide for himself: to guess or not to guess on Epiphany night.

Where without signs ...

According to popular beliefs, the most faithful signs are just those that are noticed at Baptism. So, if January 19 is “frost and sun, a wonderful day”, then in summer there will be a drought. Is it snowing, is it bad weather? Then in the summer and autumn you should expect a great harvest!

Hunters dream of hearing the barking of dogs from everywhere at Epiphany. They believe that our four-legged friends are preparing people with frequent barks for an abundance of game this year. This means that the hunter will not be left without work, everyone in the house will be fed.