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Icy Faces: Eastern Orthodox Christians Take Chilly Epiphany Plunge

Icy Faces: Eastern Orthodox Christians Take Chilly Epiphany Plunge
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Religion Reporter, HuffPost

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Eastern Orthodox Christians took an icy plunge on Sunday to mark the Epiphany feast.

Thousands of faithful Orthodox Christians in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries shed their clothes and armed themselves with bravery before diving into icy rivers and ponds to participate in the ancient cleansing tradition, RT reports.

The ritual commemorates Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River. Water blessed by a priest during the Epiphany services is thought to have healing properties.

In Moscow, an estimated 160,000 participated this year, even though the temperatures dipped as low as 3 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, according to Getty.

The traditional date for Epiphany is January 6 on the Gregorian calendar, but Eastern churches following the Julian calendar observe the feast on January 19, according to the Telegraph.

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Before You Go

Orthodox Epiphany
Orthodox Epiphany(01 of18)
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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JANUARY 19: An Orthodox Christian woman dives into the cold water to sanctify themselves at the night of Epiphany, marking the Baptism of Christ according to the Russian Orthodox calendar, in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on January 19, 2015. (credit:(Photo by Sergey Mihailicenko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(02 of18)
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KIEV, UKRAINE - JANUARY 19: An Orthodox Christian men bathes in the Dnieper River to be baptized during the Epiphany holiday celebration in Kiev, Ukraine on January 19, 2015. (credit: (Photo by Vladimir Shtanko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(03 of18)
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Rescue workers control Russian Orthodox believers swimming in the icy water on Epiphany in the Neva River in St.Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church followers plunged into icy rivers and ponds across the country to mark Epiphany, cleansing themselves with water deemed holy for the day. Water that is blessed by a cleric on Epiphany is considered holy and pure until next year's celebration, and is believed to have special powers of protection and healing. (credit:(AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky))
Orthodox Epiphany(04 of18)
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KIEV, UKRAINE - JANUARY 19: An Orthodox Christian woman bathes in icy waters of a pond shaped as a cross to be baptized during the Epiphany holiday celebration in Kiev, Ukraine on January 19, 2015. (credit:(Photo by Vladimir Shtanko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(05 of18)
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A Ukrainian woman takes a bath in the waters of lake of Sherbakova Park during the celebration of the Orthodox Epiphany in Donetsk, Ukraine. Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany on Jan. 19 , following old Julian calendar. (credit:(AP Photo/Manu Brabo))
Orthodox Epiphany(06 of18)
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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JANUARY 19: Orthodox Christians dive into the cold water to sanctify themselves at the night of Epiphany, marking the Baptism of Christ according to the Russian Orthodox calendar, in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on January 19, 2015. (credit:(Photo by Sergey Mihailicenko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(07 of18)
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A Ukrainian man swims in the waters of lake of Sherbakova Park during the celebration of the Orthodox Epiphany in Donetsk, Ukraine. Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. Thousands of faithful brave the winter temperatures to swim in waters blessed in a special Christian Orthodox ceremony to purify the waters, and swimmers cleans themselves with water deemed holy for the day. (credit:(AP Photo / Manu Brabo))
Orthodox Epiphany(08 of18)
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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JANUARY 19: An Orthodox Christian man dives into the cold water to sanctify themselves at the night of Epiphany, marking the Baptism of Christ according to the Russian Orthodox calendar, in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on January 19, 2015. (credit:(Photo by Sergey Mihailicenko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(09 of18)
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A Russian man emerges from the icy water to mark Epiphany in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, late Jan. 18, 2015. The temperature in Moscow is 1 degrees C (34 degrees F). Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church followers plunged into icy rivers and ponds across the country to mark Epiphany, cleansing themselves with water deemed holy for the day. Water that is blessed by a cleric on Epiphany is considered holy and pure until next year's celebration, and is believed to have special powers of protection and healing. (credit:(AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin))
Orthodox Epiphany(10 of18)
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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JANUARY 19: Orthodox Christians dive into the cold water to sanctify themselves at the night of Epiphany, marking the Baptism of Christ according to the Russian Orthodox calendar, in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on January 19, 2015. (credit:(Photo by Sergey Mihailicenko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(11 of18)
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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JANUARY 19: An Orthodox Christian man dives into the cold water to sanctify themselves at the night of Epiphany, marking the Baptism of Christ according to the Russian Orthodox calendar, in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on January 19, 2015. (credit:(Photo by Sergey Mihailicenko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(12 of18)
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UFA, RUSSIA - JANUARY 19: Russian Orthodox believer baths in the icy water of the river Belaya to mark Epiphany, cleansing themselves with water the water consecrated by the priest January 19, 2015 in Ufa, Russia. (credit:(Photo by Vadim Braidov/Kommersant Photo via Getty Images).)
Orthodox Epiphany(13 of18)
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Rescue workers control a Russian Orthodox believer swimming in the icy water on Epiphany in the Neva River in St.Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church followers plunged into icy rivers and ponds across the country to mark Epiphany, cleansing themselves with water deemed holy for the day. Water that is blessed by a cleric on Epiphany is considered holy and pure until next year's celebration, and is believed to have special powers of protection and healing. (credit:(AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky))
Orthodox Epiphany(14 of18)
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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JANUARY 19: An Orthodox Christian man dives into the cold water to sanctify themselves at the night of Epiphany, marking the Baptism of Christ according to the Russian Orthodox calendar, in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on January 19, 2015. (credit: (Photo by Sergey Mihailicenko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(15 of18)
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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JANUARY 19: Orthodox Christians dive into the cold water to sanctify themselves at the night of Epiphany, marking the Baptism of Christ according to the Russian Orthodox calendar, in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on January 19, 2015. (credit: (Photo by Sergey Mihailicenko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany (16 of18)
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KIEV, UKRAINE - JANUARY 19: An Orthodox Christian man bathes in icy waters of a pond shaped as a cross to be baptized during the Epiphany holiday celebration in Kiev, Ukraine on January 19, 2015. (credit:(Photo by Vladimir Shtanko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))
Orthodox Epiphany(17 of18)
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GONDER, ETHIOPIA - JANUARY 19: The faithful and tourist alike jump into the waters of Fasilides Bath after a special ceremony in which the waters were blessed by priest of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church on the second day of Timket on January 19, 2015 in Gonder, Ethiopia Every year thousands of adherents of the Ethiopian Orthodox faith gather in the Ethiopian city of Gonder to celebrate Timket (The Epiphany) on January 18 -20 in Gonder, Ethiopia. Timket is a 3 day celebration of the baptism of Jesus Christ celebrated throughout Ethiopia but with special significance in the city of Gonder. The first day is marked by processions 7 Tabots (replica's of the Ark of the Covenant) from various churches in the city to a large pool called Fasilides Bath. On the second day, usually the 19th day of the January the waters of the pool are blessed and hundreds of people, the devout and tourist alike wash themselves in the blessed waters of the pool. The third day of the Timket is marked by continued celebrations as it is also the day of Saint Michael. (credit: (Photo by J. Countess/Getty )
Orthodox Epiphany(18 of18)
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Men get out of the ice cold water after plunging into it to mark Epiphany in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church followers will plunge into icy rivers and ponds across the country to mark Epiphany, cleansing themselves with water deemed holy for the day. (credit:(AP Photo/Sergei Grits))
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