Font. Feast of the Epiphany. Epiphany Cathedral in Yelohovo. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Sermon on Epiphany

Then, among the rest of the people, Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee came to John to be baptized by him. John had never met Jesus before and therefore did not know who he was. But when Jesus approached him for baptism, John, as a prophet, felt his holiness, sinlessness and superiority over himself, so he objected in bewilderment: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” “Thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness,” Jesus answered meekly. By this he confirmed the holiness and greatness of John’s actions, and gave future Christians an example of obedience to the will of God and humility.

Having been baptized, Jesus, according to the evangelist, prayed that God would bless the beginning of his ministry. At that moment, the heavens “opened” and John the Baptist saw the Spirit of God, which descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. The people also saw the dove, since the purpose of this miracle was to reveal to people the Son of God in the unknown Jesus Christ. At the same time, everyone heard the words of God the Father: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” They pointed out to John the Baptist and the people present the divine dignity of the baptized Jesus Christ. These words were the answer of God the Father to the prayer of His Son for a blessing on the feat of saving mankind.

The Orthodox Church calls the Baptism of the Lord the Epiphany, because Jesus Christ after baptism showed himself to the world as the Savior and Messiah. In this event, the Holy Trinity was revealed to people: God the Father - with a voice from heaven, God the Son - with the baptism of John in the Jordan, God the Holy Spirit - with a dove descending on Jesus Christ.

For a Christian, the sacrament of Baptism is the door to the Kingdom of light. “Those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” is sung at the festive service. This means: whoever is baptized into Christ is clothed in the garments of Christ's righteousness and, becoming like Him, becomes a participant in His holiness. The power of baptism is that the baptized person receives the ability and strength to love God and his neighbors. This christian love attracts a Christian to a righteous life and helps him overcome sins.

The beginning of the feast of the Epiphany dates back to apostolic times. He is mentioned in the Apostolic Constitutions.

Until the 5th century, it was customary to remember the birth and baptism of Jesus Christ on one day - January 6 - and this holiday was called Epiphany. Then the celebration of the Nativity of Christ was moved to December 25 (by Julian calendar, or old style). This was the beginning of Christmastide, ending with Vespers, or Christmas Eve, the feast of Epiphany. The word “forever” means the eve of a church celebration, and the second name “Christmas Eve” (sochevnik) is associated with the tradition on this day of boiling wheat broth with honey and raisins - sochivo.

Due to the importance of the event that took place on the coming day in the life of Jesus Christ, the church established a one-day fast after Christmastide. 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. Believers determine the extent of fasting individually and according to their abilities. On this day, as on Christmas Eve, they do not eat food until the candle is taken out after the liturgy (worship) in the morning and the first communion of Epiphany water.

On Christmas Eve, after the liturgy, the great consecration of water takes place in churches. The blessing of water is called great because of the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, which became not only an image of cleansing from sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very matter (nature) of water through the immersion of God in the flesh. This water is called Agiasma or 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 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.

In the ancient church, this was due to the fact that on the eve of the holiday, the baptism of the catechumens (those who accepted and assimilated the Christian doctrine) took place. For the sake of this sacrament, the first great blessing of water was performed. The difference between the first and second consecration was 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 Christians went to the Jordan River.

In the first centuries (including the 4th and 5th centuries), the great consecration of water took place only in the Jerusalem Church, where it was the custom to go out to the Jordan River to the place where Jesus Christ was baptized. Later they began to organize “Jordan” in other places where there were rivers or lakes.

Since ancient times, Christians have had great reverence for the consecrated Epiphany water; it is a shrine. Christ was baptized and sanctified the nature of the waters, and therefore baptismal water is brought home and stored all year. And this water does not spoil and sometimes remains fresh for two or three years.

The Russian Orthodox Church and people have developed such an attitude towards Epiphany water that it is taken only on an empty stomach as a great shrine. It is used for sprinkling temples and dwellings, during prayers for expulsion evil spirit, and also as a cure for diseases.

As additional post- and extra-liturgical (and not at all obligatory) exercises in the Orthodox and not only in Orthodox countries Sometimes . In Russia, they plunge into the “Jordan” (a specially built font), in Greece, young men jump after a cross, which the priest throws into the waters of the sea, and compete to see who can get it first. These are folklore continuations of the theological meaning of the holiday, which for Orthodox believers consists primarily of commemorating the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John in the Jordan River.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The entry of Jesus Christ on the path of serving people, the beginning of his preaching. On the day of Epiphany, everywhere in churches, on rivers, lakes, a water blessing is performed, a ritual of consecrating water in an ice hole made in the form of an Orthodox cross.

Epiphany - Holy Epiphany
On January 19, the Holy Church celebrates the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is one of the great twelve holidays, which is celebrated no less solemnly than the Nativity of Christ. We can say that Christmas and Epiphany, connected by Christmastide, constitute a single celebration - the Feast of Epiphany. It is in the unity of these holidays that all three faces of the Holy Trinity appear to us. In the Bethlehem den, the Son of God was born in the flesh, and at His baptism, from the open heavens, “the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove” (Luke 3:22) and the voice of God the Father was heard, “saying: You are My Son Beloved; I am well pleased with You!”

Saint John Chrysostom writes that “not the day on which the Savior was born should be called a phenomenon, but the day on which He was baptized. He did not become known to everyone through His birth, but through Baptism, which is why the Epiphany is not called the day on which He was born, but the day on which He was baptized.”

The following can be said about the event of the Baptism of the Lord itself. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who returned from Egypt after the death of King Herod, grew up in the small city of Nazareth, located in Galilee. With His Most Holy Mother, He stayed in this city until His thirtieth birthday, earning food for Himself and the Most Pure Virgin by the craft of His imaginary father, the righteous Joseph, who was a carpenter. When the thirtieth year of His earthly life was completed, that is, the time before which, according to Jewish law, no one was allowed to teach in the synagogues or take the priesthood, the time came for His appearance to the people of Israel. But before that moment, according to the prophetic word, the Forerunner had to appear to Israel, who had the task of preparing the people of Israel to receive the Messiah, the one about whom the prophet Isaiah predicted: “the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of God in the desert.” ours.” Far from people, in the depths of the harsh Judean desert, there was a word of God to John, the son of Zechariah, a relative Holy Virgin, who, while still in the womb of his mother, the righteous Elizabeth, jumped joyfully, welcoming his Savior, about whom no one in the world had yet known, except His Most Pure Mother, who received the gospel from the Archangel. This word of God commanded John to go out into the world preaching repentance and baptize Israel to testify to the Light, so that everyone would believe through him.

Epiphany is one of the main Christian holidays. The holiday of Epiphany ends the Christmas holidays, which last from January 7 to January 19...

At the end of the summer of 988, Prince Vladimir gathered all the people of Kiev on the banks of the Dnieper, in the waters of which they were baptized by Byzantine priests. This event went down in history as the “baptism of Rus'”, becoming the beginning of a long process of establishing Christianity in Russian lands...

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Christians all over the world treat the Jordan as a sacred river, because Jesus Christ was baptized in its waters. But where this very place is located for certain became known only at the end of the 20th century.

Bethara beyond the Jordan

The Gospel of John indicates the address of the place where John the Baptist preached and baptized - not far from the village of Bethavara beyond the Jordan. But where exactly is this village located? The fact is that in Palestine at that time there were several villages with the same name.

For a long time it was believed that Bethawara was located in Israel, near the town of Qasr El Yahud, which is 4 kilometers from the place where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea.

A mosaic on the floor in the Church of St. George in the city of Madaba helped determine its true location. The mosaic image, measuring 15 x 6 meters, dating back to the 6th century AD, is an excellently preserved accurate map of the Holy Land, indicating all Christian shrines.

The map indicated that the place of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River was not in Israel, but on the opposite bank of the river in the town of Wadi el-Harar (in the territory of modern Jordan).

In addition, in the place where the rite of Baptism took place 2000 years ago, the water on this moment not anymore. Over such a huge period of time, the river changed its course as it flowed into the Dead Sea and now flows several tens of meters closer to Israel.

In support of this version, in Wadi el-Harar, in a dry place in 1996, archaeologists discovered the ruins of three Byzantine churches and a marble slab, on which, supposedly, stood a column with a cross, installed during early Christianity at the site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ. It is this column that is often mentioned in written sources of pilgrims of the Byzantine era who visited the Holy Places.

After heated debate, scientists around the world and leaders of leading Christian denominations came to the conclusion that Wadi el-Harar is the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River.

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Thus, in the spring of 2000, the visit of Pope John Paul II to these places ended with the official recognition by the Vatican of the fact that Wadi el-Harar is the greatest Christian Shrine.

The Russian Orthodox Church, in recognition of this fact, took part in the construction of an Orthodox church in honor of John the Baptist on the territory of Wadi el-Harar. It is believed that the temple is based on the very place where Jesus Christ left his clothes before plunging into the waters of the biblical river.

The discovery of this greatest thing for all Christendom The site was made possible as a result of the peace agreement signed between Israel and Jordan in October 1994.

Yardenit in Israel

Many pilgrims who visit Israel every year would like to be able to take a dip or even be baptized in the waters of the Jordan River.

But the Jordan River, along almost its entire length from Lake Kinneret (Sea of ​​Galilee) to the Dead Sea, represents a natural border between the two states of Israel and Jordan. The border, it must be said, is not always peaceful, and therefore the approaches to the river from both one side and the other are under close surveillance by the military.

For this purpose, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has identified a special place, which is a quiet backwater near the source of the Jordan River from Lake Kinneret (Sea of ​​Galilee). In 1981, a special complex for pilgrims, called Yardenit, was built on this site.

According to the Gospel of Mark, at the moment of baptism in the waters of the Jordan River, the holy spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove: “And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 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: You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”. (Mark 1:9-11) It is these words, written on the memorial wall in all languages ​​of the world, that greet pilgrims who come here.

The complex is equipped with walking paths, convenient approaches to the water, locker rooms, and showers. In the shops located on the territory of the complex, you can buy or rent pilgrim shirts, buy bottles for Jordanian water, and various souvenirs and cosmetic products from the land of Israel.

At a local restaurant you will definitely be offered to try the tilapia fish, popular among tourists, which is called “St. Peter’s fish” here.

The history of the origin of this name refers us to the Gospel of Matthew, according to which in those ancient times every Jew over 20 years old had to pay an annual tax of 2 drachmas for the maintenance of the Temple. But Jesus did not have money, and then he asked Peter to go to the sea, cast a fishing rod and pay the tax with the coin that he found in the mouth of the first fish he caught. It is believed that this fish was tilapia. Behind the gills of the fish you can still see two dark spots, supposedly marks from the fingers of the Apostle himself.

Every year hundreds of thousands of Christian pilgrims from all over globe visit the Yardenit complex in Israel. Entire busloads of pilgrims led by priests often arrive to perform the rite of Baptism here.

Very often, pilgrims who have already been baptized before have a question: “Is it possible to undergo the rite of baptism again, but this time in the waters of the Jordan River?” The fact is that baptism is a special ritual that occurs only once in the life of a Christian believer. The only exception can be a transition from one denomination to another - in this case, it makes sense to consult with the clergy of one or another denomination.

Pilgrims perform ritual ablutions in the waters of the Jordan River to heal the soul and body. Dressed in white clothes, the pilgrims say the words of prayer, after which they plunge three times into the waters of the Jordan in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Location: Southern tip of Lake Kinneret, highway 90. From the highway to Yardenit 0.5 km.

How to get there: Regular buses from Jerusalem No. 961, 963, 964; by buses from the northern cities of the country moving along highway No. 90.

Opening hours:

Monday - Thursday: 08:00 - 18:00,
Friday and holiday eves: 08:00 - 17:00

Free admission. To maintain a godly atmosphere, all visitors are required to have white baptismal robes, which can be purchased ($24) or rented ($10).

Or Epiphany, is one of the main and oldest Christian holidays. The first mentions of it date back to the 2nd century. The holiday was established in honor of the event gospel history, the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

During baptism, according to all three Synoptic Gospels, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove; at the same time, a voice from heaven proclaimed: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). In this regard, in church tradition the holiday has a second name - Epiphany.

The Gospel of John also speaks of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan and the descent of the Holy Spirit, but not directly, but in the form of the testimony of John the Baptist (John 1:29-33).

The Baptism of the Lord occurred shortly after Jesus turned 30 years old. At this time, the prophet John the Baptist preached in the Jordan desert, calling the Jews to repentance and talking about the long-awaited coming of the Savior. He baptized everyone who came to him in the Jordan. It should be understood that baptism in those days was a ritual ablution as a sign of repentance and cleansing from previous sins.

Christ was sinless and did not need repentance, but came to be baptized by John to give people an example of obedience and fulfillment of the Law.

Where was Jesus Christ baptized?

The exact location of the baptism site of Jesus Christ is unknown. Most early Greek New Testament manuscripts name the site of Jesus' Baptism as Bethany Transjordan (Βηθανία πέραν τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου). It is believed that the name Bethavara was first proposed by Origen, but he located it on the west bank of the Jordan. While in the Slavic Bible the place of baptism is called Vifavara on the other side of the Jordan (Vifavara was on the floor of Jordan), that is, on the eastern bank of the river. In Russian synodal translation this place is called Bethabara beyond the Jordan (John 1:28), in the New King James Bible (NKJV) - Bethabara beyond the Jordan, in the Greek Bible and New Vulgate - Bethany beyond the Jordan.

However, differences in understanding remain. For example, on the famous Madaba Map of the 6th century - a mosaic panel map partially preserved in the Church of St. George in the Jordanian city of Madaba and representing the oldest map of the Holy Land, from the Levant in the north to the Nile Delta in the south, the site of the Baptism is depicted opposite Jericho in the west bank of the river, that is, not beyond the Jordan, if viewed from the western bank.

There is an assumption that the author of the Madaba map lived on the eastern bank of the Jordan and therefore understood the phrase “beyond the Jordan” in the sense of a place located on the other bank in relation to it, although the author of the Gospel, naturally, understood the preposition for as located on the eastern bank. Pilgrim Theodosius (V-VI centuries) reported that at the site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ there was a marble column topped with an iron cross.

Photo: Mikhail Moiseev In the first centuries of Christianity, the traditional site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ was located on the eastern bank of the Jordan near Jericho. This was confirmed by excavations in the 1990s, when on the eastern bank of the Jordan River an international team of archaeologists discovered the ruins of a Byzantine church and the base of a column that marked the site of the Baptism of the Lord.

Research has shown that over the course of seven centuries, from the 5th to the beginning of the 12th century, five successively replaced each other at the site of the Baptism of the Lord. Christian churches. The first temple was built here under the Byzantine Emperor Anastasia (491-518). It was built on special arches six meters above the ground to avoid destruction during the Jordanian floods. Here the stone skeleton of a chapel was discovered at the place where the Lord took off his vestments before descending into the water.

However, after Arab conquest Palestine (640), due to the inaccessibility of the eastern bank, the place of Baptism also began to be considered a place near Jericho, but on the western bank. Over time, the place of Baptism was lost due to the destruction of the churches located there.

Over time, the Jordan River has changed its course, so now the site of Jesus' baptism is on dry land.

The rite of the great consecration of water

According to tradition, on Epiphany Christmas Eve, January 18, and then on the day of the Epiphany itself, January 19 orthodox temple perform the rite of the great consecration of water.

Water consecrated with a great ceremony on the eve of Epiphany and on the holiday itself is called “great agiasma,” that is, a great shrine (from the Greek αγίασμα - shrine). Among some Orthodox believers, there is an opinion that the water consecrated on the eve of the holiday (January 18) differs from that which is consecrated in churches directly on the day of Epiphany. This is a misconception.

One of the first mentions of the special veneration of water collected on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord, and of its miraculous properties (primarily the ability not to spoil for a long time) is contained in one of the Antioch sermons of St. John Chrysostom (IV century): “On this holiday, everyone, having drawn water, brings it home and keeps it all year long, since today the waters are blessed; and a clear sign occurs: this water in its essence does not deteriorate over time, but, drawn today, it whole year, and often two and three years, remains intact and fresh.”

Swimming in Jordan: tradition or innovation?

In the Russian Orthodox Church and some other Local Churches, the custom of swimming in natural reservoirs is known on the eve and on the day of the Epiphany holiday.

In the XVI-XVII centuries. In Russia, the practice of erecting “Jordan Canopies” - temporary chapels on the banks of reservoirs - spread. As a rule, to consecrate water, an ice hole was cut out in the ice (often in the form of a cross), which was called “Jordan”. Believers and clergy came to the place of consecration religious processions from nearby temples. Wherein reliable evidence that after the consecration of the water the believers immersed themselves in the font, no.

For example, in St. Petersburg, from the time of Peter the Great until the beginning of the 20th century, the tradition of blessing water in the Neva was preserved, in which crowned heads of the royal family took part. So, in 1890-1910, an ice hole was cut out in the ice of the Neva opposite the Winter Palace, and a canopy with domes and crosses, decorated with gilded images of angels and images, was built above it. There was a place around the chapel open gallery, where the banners of the guard regiments were brought to be sprinkled with holy water. A prayer service was served in the temple. From the main, Jordan, entrance of the Winter Palace to the ice and further along the ice, gangways and bridges were built, decorated with flags and garlands. Guards units in winter dress uniforms without greatcoats, soldiers without gloves, were lined up along them as trellises - that was the tradition.

After mass in the palace, the highest clergy went out to the Jordan to serve a prayer service with the blessing of water. The royal family also took to the ice.

The Metropolitan lowered the cross into the water, and at this time 101 shots were fired from the cannons of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Believers believed that after this the water in the Neva instantly became holy, and they took turns coming up to drink this water. Moreover, even in those years, the sanitary inspection already prohibited drinking raw Neva water due to its contamination by sewage. After the blessing of water, the tsar received the Epiphany Parade - the troops present in the Jordan passed by in a ceremonial march.

There is also no evidence of the bathing of believers in the Neva font.

Photo: Balkanregion (CC by-sa 3.0) However, this custom has spread widely in Russia in last years. As a rule, today places for mass bathing are organized with the active participation of local authorities, and the bathing itself takes place in the presence of employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and medical workers.

In Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece, after the blessing of water, solemn processions with banners are organized to the reservoir. There is a custom of throwing a wooden cross into the water and then diving for it. Catching a cross from the water is considered honorable. Popular name holiday in Bulgaria - “Jordanovden”, and in Macedonia - “Voditsa”.

On January 18 and 19, Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate Epiphany. This day has its own history, dating back to ancient times, and church canons for a long time closely intertwined with popular beliefs.

The holiday of the Baptism of Rus' is usually celebrated on July 28. This event, according to historical research, dated back to 988. However, the adoption of the Christian faith in Rus' was not a short-term action, but a long process that required the residents of the pagan state to rethink new forms of life and interaction.

History of the holiday. Baptism

Translated from Greek, the word “baptism” means immersion. This is exactly how a cleansing bath is carried out for a person who has decided to accept the Christian faith. True meaning The ritual with water consists of spiritual cleansing. According to Christian tradition, on January 19, Jesus Christ was baptized, and on this day the Epiphany is celebrated, when the Almighty appeared to the world in three forms.

On the Epiphany of the Lord (the history of the holiday goes like this), God the Son underwent the Sacrament in the Jordan River at the age of 30, where the Holy Spirit appeared to him in the form of a dove, and God the Father made it known from heaven that Jesus Christ was his son . Hence the second name of the holiday - Epiphany.

On January 18, according to Orthodox tradition, it is customary to fast until the removal of the candle, which follows the Liturgy, accompanied by communion with water. The holiday of Epiphany, or rather its eve, is also called Christmas Eve, which is associated with the custom of boiling wheat juice with the addition of raisins and honey.

Celebration traditions

Epiphany is a holiday whose traditions are associated with the extraordinary ability of water to heal, and it can be taken from the most ordinary body of water. Even the one that is supplied to the apartments of our houses is endowed with this property. For healing, it is necessary to take consecrated Epiphany water on an empty stomach in a very small volume (a teaspoon is enough). After taking it, you need to wait a while before eating.

The healing properties of Epiphany water

Baptism - Orthodox holiday and, according to Christian faith, holy water is the most effective cure for all diseases. To get rid of physical and spiritual ailments, you need to drink it hourly, deeply believing in its healing power. Women in critical days You cannot touch holy water, only in exceptional cases, for example, in case of a serious illness.

IN Orthodox traditions The history of the holiday is well known. The Baptism of the Lord gives water miraculous powers. A drop of it can sanctify a huge source, and it does not deteriorate under any storage conditions. Modern research has confirmed that Epiphany water does not change its structure without refrigeration.

Where to store Epiphany water

Water collected on the day of Epiphany should be stored in the Red Corner near the icons; this is the best place for it in the house. You must take it from the Red Corner without swearing; at this moment you cannot quarrel and allow yourself ungodly thoughts, as this will lose the holiness of the magic drink. Sprinkling a house with water cleanses not only the home, but also family members, making them healthier, more moral and happier.

Epiphany bathing

Traditionally, on January 19, on the feast of the Epiphany, water from any source has miraculous properties and the ability to heal, so on this day all Orthodox Christians collect it in various containers and carefully store it, adding small drops as necessary, for example, to a glass of water. As you remember, even a small portion can consecrate huge volumes. However, the Epiphany holiday is most widely known for its mass bathing. Of course, not everyone can decide to do this. However, in Lately Epiphany bathing is becoming increasingly popular.

Dives are held in an ice-hole cut out in the shape of a cross, which is called Jordan. Plunging into cold water On January 19, Epiphany, an Orthodox holiday, a believer, as legend says, gets rid of sins and all ailments for a whole year.

When is it customary to collect water?

People go to church for holy water on the morning of January 19th. There is a sign that you need to take it first. This makes the behavior of some parishioners unacceptable for the temple, because in a sacred place one cannot push, swear or fuss.

Blessed water can also be collected the day before, January 18, at Epiphany Christmas Eve. Church services continue on this day. As the priests say, water is blessed equally on both January 18 and 19, so on its healing properties collection time is not reflected. If it is impossible to go to church, you can use ordinary apartment water supply. It is better to collect water from the tap on the night of January 18-19 between 00.10 and 01.30. This time is considered the most favorable. When and where to swim on Epiphany? Regarding bathing, the church notes that it is not a canon of Christianity, but has simply become a tradition. You can take a dip at Epiphany both on the night of January 18-19 and in the morning of the 19th. In every city, special places are organized for this holiday; you can find out about them in any church.

On accepting baptism in the Orthodox tradition

On the Epiphany of the Lord (the history of the holiday tells about this), God appeared to the world for the first time in three forms (Epiphany). Few people think that communion with the Lord is an important event in everyone's life Orthodox Christian. On the day of baptism, a person is adopted by God and becomes part of Christ.

After undergoing the rite of baptism, a person is accepted Orthodox Church and ceases to be a slave of Satan, who can now tempt him only by cunning. After gaining faith, you can visit the temple and pray, as well as use other Sacraments Orthodox faith.

Reception of Baptism by an adult is carried out consciously, so the presence of godparents is not necessary. A future Christian must become familiar with the basics of the Orthodox faith and, if desired, learn prayers.

When we're talking about about babies, then they need godparents, who must subsequently take care of the child’s religious development and, of course, pray for him. They should be an example of morality for their godchildren.

Before the Sacrament is performed, everyone who will be present in the church is recommended to fast and abstain from worldly entertainment. Babies themselves do not need preparation.

Now every church has a registration for baptism, where you can also find out what you need to take with you. It is imperative to prepare a blessed cross and, if desired, a baptismal set, which includes a shirt, cap, and diaper. For boys, a cap is not required.

After the ceremony you will receive a “Baptismal Certificate”. Keep it, if your child decides to enter a religious school, it will definitely be needed.

It must be said that the baptism of a child is a holiday that is given more and more importance in Russia every year.

Folk customs and traditions associated with Epiphany

The holiday of Epiphany, of course, is less popular than Christmas, but it is very rich in various rituals. Here are some of them.

On this day, it is customary to release doves into the sky during worship, which is a symbol of the Spirit of God appearing on earth in the guise of this bird. This ritual also “releases” the Christmas holidays.

Water is always blessed in churches. On the eve of Epiphany, a cross-shaped hole is cut out in reservoirs, and the cross is placed close to it and sometimes decorated. Water is baptized with fire, for which the priest lowers a burning three-branched candlestick into it.

To wash away your sins during Epiphany bathing, you need to plunge your head three times.

IN old times On this day, young people had fun riding carousels and ice skating. Also, boys and girls caroled - they went around houses with songs and congratulations, and the owners gave them treats.

After this holiday, fasting ended. Young people again began to get together for festivities, where they could choose their soulmate. The period from the end of Epiphany to Lent is the time when one could have a wedding.

It is not customary to work and eat a lot on Epiphany.

Signs and beliefs

Agree on a wedding on this day - to happy life For future family. In general, any good deed started on this day is blessed.

Snow on Epiphany means a rich harvest.

The sun on this day means a bad harvest.

Wash your face with ice and snow on this day - to be beautiful, sweet and pretty all year long.

IN Epiphany night dreams are prophetic.

That evening the girls got together and told fortunes.

Epiphany fortune telling

The most popular, of course, is fortune telling for the betrothed. There are a great many ways to find out the name and see your future husband, some of them are quite creepy: with mirrors, candles, “spirit circles” and the alphabet.

Almost every modern girl knows about fortune telling for the groom using Tatyana Larina’s method: to find out the name of the betrothed, you need to go out into the street at midnight and ask the first man you come across what his name is.

Here's a very funny fortune telling for wish fulfillment. You ask a question, having a good idea of ​​what you are asking about (the question should really be important to you, but if you are doing it for fun, then the answer will not be true), and then you scoop up grains (cereals) from the bag. Next, pour everything onto a plate and count it. If the number of grains is even, it will come true, if the number is odd, it will not come true.