Dipped? Forget social media! Or what not to do on the feast of Epiphany. Bathing in the hole for Epiphany is not a mandatory ritual

With the Baptism of Russia (in 988), it gradually spread among our ancestors. Blessing of water can only be performed by a priest - by reading the appropriate prayers and immersing the cross three times in water. For this purpose, an ice hole is made in reservoirs - "Jordan" - as a rule, in the form of a cross. Usually reservoirs - ponds, rivers, lakes are consecrated on the feast of Epiphany itself, after the liturgy. Epiphany water is a sacred thing that is used for healing and to strengthen the mental and bodily strength of us and our loved ones.

From some churches and on Epiphany Christmas Eve after the service, solemn processions are made to the holes in the reservoirs, they are consecrated. The Orthodox scoop up holy water in this hole, wash themselves with it, and the most courageous “dive” into the hole. The Russian tradition of bathing in an ice-hole dates back to the time of the ancient Scythians, who dipped their babies in icy water, accustoming them to the harsh nature.

When bathing in ice hole for baptism

On January 18, Orthodox believers celebrate Epiphany Christmas Eve, the eve of Theophany, or Epiphany. In all churches, the "great consecration of water" is performed. According to church canons, on Epiphany Christmas Eve, a believer must come to church, defend the service, light a candle, collect blessed water. But no one requires to plunge into ice water, especially if a person is not ready for this. The hole made for water blessing and bathing at Epiphany is also called Jordan.

In large cities of Russia, on the rivers on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany, they are specially cut down on the rivers and ice holes are equipped for the mass bathing of believers. What inform the population of these cities in the media.

There are no strict rules on how to swim (dip) in the hole for Epiphany. Bathing is a three-time immersion in water with your head. At the same time, the believer is baptized and says "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!".
Since ancient times, it has been believed in Russia that bathing at Epiphany promotes healing from various ailments.
Water is living matter. It has the ability to change its structure under the influence of a source of information. Therefore, with what thoughts you approach it, you will receive it. To plunge into cold water, special preparation is not required. The human body is designed to experience frequent exposure to cold. All you need is the attitude.
What happens to the human body when it comes into contact with cold water? For example, during winter swimming in the hole?
1. Plunging headlong into ice-cold water, the water instantly awakens the central nervous part of the brain, and the brain heals the body.
2. Short-term exposure to low and ultra-low temperatures is perceived by the body as a positive stress: it relieves inflammation, pain, swelling, spasm.
3. Our body is enveloped in air, the thermal conductivity of which is 28 times less than the thermal conductivity of water. This is the focus of hardening with cold water. And during a short run in the snow (for example, to an ice hole and back), only 10% of the body surface is cooled.
4. Cold water releases the deep forces of the body, the body temperature after contact with it reaches 40º, at which viruses, microbes and diseased cells die.
Systemic winter swimming contributes to the improvement of the body, but diving into an ice hole once a year is the strongest stress for the body.
Rules for bathing in the hole for Epiphany

• Dipping (swimming) should be done in specially equipped ice holes near the shore, preferably near rescue stations, under the supervision of lifeguards.
• Such ice-holes are specially equipped on rivers in large cities on the eve of the Feast of Epiphany for mass bathing of citizens. The population is informed about the location of such places through the mass media.

• Before swimming in the hole, it is necessary to warm up the body by doing a warm-up, jogging.
• The ice hole must be approached in comfortable, non-slip and easily removable shoes to prevent loss of sensation in the legs. It is better to use boots or woolen socks in order to reach the hole. It is possible to use special rubber slippers, which also protect your feet from sharp stones and salt, and also prevent you from slipping on the ice. When going to the hole, remember that the path can be slippery. Walk slowly and carefully.
• Make sure that the ladder for descending into the water is stable. At least for safety, it is necessary to lower the edge of a strong thick rope with knots into the water so that swimmers can use it to get out of the water. The opposite end of the rope must be securely fastened to the shore.
• It is best to dive up to the neck, without soaking your head, in order to avoid reflex constriction of the vessels of the brain; Never dive headfirst into an ice hole. Jumping into water and submerging head first is not recommended as it increases temperature loss and can lead to cold shock.
• When entering the water for the first time, try to quickly reach the desired depth, but do not swim. Remember that cold water can cause perfectly normal, harmless rapid breathing. Once your body has adjusted to the cold.

• Do not stay in the hole for more than 1 minute in order to avoid general hypothermia of the body. When lowering to the bottom in a small hole, the danger is also as follows. Not everyone can descend vertically. Many descend at an angle, shifting towards the ice edge. At a depth of 4 m, the displacement from the starting point can reach 1 - 1.5 m. When ascending with your eyes closed in a small hole, you can “miss” and hit your head on the ice. If you have a child with you, fly for him during his dive into the hole. A frightened child can easily forget that he can swim.

• Getting out of the hole is not so easy. When exiting, do not hold directly on the handrails, use a dry towel, a handful of snow from the edge of the ice hole, you can scoop up more water in handfuls and lean on the handrails to rise quickly and vigorously.

• Getting out in a vertical position is difficult and dangerous.

• Having broken, you can go under the ice. Need insurance and help.
• After bathing (dipping), rub yourself and the child with a terry towel and put on dry clothes;

• To strengthen the immune system and the possibility of hypothermia, you need to drink hot tea, best of all from berries, fruits and vegetables from a pre-prepared thermos.

Contraindications for swimming in the hole:
Winter swimming is contraindicated for people with the following acute and chronic (in the acute stage) diseases:
- inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, accessory cavities of the nose, otitis media;
- cardiovascular system (congenital and acquired valvular heart disease, coronary heart disease with angina attacks, myocardial infarction, coronary-cardiosclerosis, hypertension stage II and III);
- the central nervous system (epilepsy, the consequences of severe injuries of the skull; sclerosis of cerebral vessels in a pronounced stage, syringomyelia; encephalitis, arachnoiditis);
- peripheral nervous system (neuritis, polyneuritis);
- endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis);
- organs of vision (glaucoma, conjunctivitis);
- respiratory organs (pulmonary tuberculosis - active and in the stage of complications, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, eczema).

“Plunging into the hole is a Russian pious tradition,
having no sacramental meaning"

- To plunge into the hole on the feast of the Epiphany of the Epiphany is a Russian pious tradition that has no sacramental significance, and the Church does not oblige anyone to strictly observe it. In fact, quite a lot has already been written about this. It all depends on the desire of the person. But for many believers, this tradition is very important.

For example, in Moscow, where I was born and raised, the tradition of consecrating a font carved in ice was massively renewed in the 1990s. At the Compound of the Optina Pustyn in Ostankino, which is now the Compound of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, on the feast of Epiphany, a night service was certainly served, according to the charter, it was very long, and in the morning, when dawn was barely breaking, there was a procession around the Ostankino pond, after which the rector consecrated a font specially carved in ice. And then old people, women, children, of course, and adult men plunged into the consecrated hole - everyone who wanted to. However, it was customary before bathing to approach the priest and take a blessing for this.

In this sense, the question that it is necessary to take a shower on the night of Epiphany looks rather strange. After all, if the tradition of “going to the Jordan” goes back to the Holy Gospel story, when the Savior received John's baptism in the waters of the Jordan, then what significance can the need to take a shower on Epiphany night have? Rather, it looks like some kind of superstition or delusion.

Indeed, a lot of people at Baptism, without going into the temple of God and not thinking about the deepest meaning of the holiday - the Epiphany of the Lord, strive to plunge three times into the hole simply because they want to feel some kind of extreme situation in life, or, perhaps, to raise their spiritual mood, or simply "for the company." In their lives, of course, this will not change anything: “God willing, we will still swim next year,” and that’s all. But I know at least one case when a person who came “for bathing” with a noisy company later went to a nearby temple, where someone clearly and accurately explained to him the meaning of why he had just plunged into the icy water. The young man began to go to the temple, to divine services, then confess and take communion. Here, probably, a lot depends on us - people who must explain to others the meaning and significance of this or that church action, traditions, and do it correctly and in an accessible language.

I believe that the main benefit through the symbolic after the service for a Christian can be a greater familiarization with the reality of the feast of Baptism - the Epiphany of the Lord. Recently we celebrated the Nativity of Christ, glorified together with the angels and shepherds the Incarnation in the world of "our sake of salvation" Jesus Christ. On the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Holy Church reminds us of the great mystery of God the Trinity, revealed to the whole world more than 2,000 years ago in the waters of the Jordan River. This is the reality that the Church lives in and into which every Christian is called to enter.

"Bathing in the hole is irrelevant
has no spiritual life"

— In my opinion, swimming in the hole has nothing to do with spiritual life. This is one of the traditions, which, unfortunately, has grown into superstition. You need to approach such procedures with reasoning, take care of your health and not risk it. For people who do not go to church, do not go to confession and do not receive communion, in my opinion, there will be no spiritual benefit from swimming in the hole. Many of those who traditionally plunge into the hole at the Epiphany of the Lord say later that upon leaving the cold water they experienced relief and euphoria: “It was as if they were born again, they left all their sins in the hole.” There is a medical explanation for this condition. Immersion in ice water is a great stress for the body. And under stress, the hormone adrenaline is released into the bloodstream, under the influence of which such sensations arise. This state has nothing to do with spirituality.

People believe that by coming to the ice-hole for Baptism once a year, they thereby lead a Christian life. This is a deep delusion. No need to lull your Christian conscience with this. There is also an opinion that if a person plunges into the hole three times, the Lord will immediately forgive all his sins. This is also not true, because sins are forgiven a person in the Sacrament of Confession, and then with a deep, contrite and repentant feeling, when a person repented before God with all his might and began to fight against sin. It was then that the Lord, seeing these labors, absolves a person of sins - again in the Sacrament of Confession, and not in the hole. It does not happen that a person sins all year, then comes to the hole, dips in it three times and is freed from sin. People do not understand that as they lived in sin, so they will live if they do not turn to true and deep repentance and proceed to confession.

“In baptismal water you can’t not only swim,
but you can’t even baptize children”

- On the feast of the Epiphany and the day before - on Epiphany Christmas Eve - a great consecration of water is performed in memory of the Epiphany on the Jordan River. This is the holy water of the great agiasma, the great shrine. In the last decade, bathing in holy water has become widespread. Unfortunately, often people without prayer, and in a state of intoxication, and even with obscene cries, plunge into icy water. Without remembering the Lord Jesus Christ, the great church holiday was turned into entertainment and an occasion for sin. Many do not know that not only can one not bathe in baptismal water, but one cannot even baptize children. Epiphany water, as a great shrine, should be distributed for the consecration of houses, for reverent sprinkling. It can be drunk with prayer and reverence. Usually they drink it on an empty stomach, but in special cases, you can drink holy water after eating: under emergency circumstances, under terrible temptations, and also, according to tradition, on the very day of the holiday.

Here is what we read in the clergyman's handbook, published at the end of the 20th century:

“The consecration of water for Baptism is one of the most important parts of the service, which has the deepest connection with the Sacrament itself. The importance of these prayers is evidenced by the fact that even in the abbreviated rite of Baptism “fear for the sake of death”, where the rite of the prohibition of evil spirits and the Creed are omitted, the prayer for the blessing of water is preserved.

It is water that reveals to us the meaning of Baptism. In prayers and actions during the consecration of water for Baptism, all aspects of the Sacrament are revealed, its connection with the world and matter, with life in all its manifestations is shown. Water is the oldest religious symbol. From a Christian point of view, three main aspects of this symbolism seem important. First, water is the primary cosmic element. At the beginning of creation, "...the Spirit of God hovered over the waters" (Genesis 1:2). At the same time, it is a symbol of destruction and death. The basis of life, life-giving force and the basis of death, destructive force: this is the dual image of water in Christian theology. And finally, water is a symbol of purification, rebirth and renewal. This symbolism pervades all of Holy Scripture, is included in the story of creation, the fall into sin and salvation. We meet water at the very beginning of the book of Genesis, where it signifies creation itself, the Cosmos. When “the Lord saw that the corruption of men on earth was great and that all the thoughts and thoughts of their hearts were evil at all times...” (Gen. 6:5), He brought down His righteous wrath on people and washed away their sins in the waters global flood. The Lord commanded Moses to set up a laver in the tabernacle and fill it with water to wash the hands and feet of the high priest before making sacrifices to God. As a sign of the completion of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New, Saint John the Baptist called the people to repentance and cleansing from sins in the waters of the Jordan. And the Lord Jesus Christ Himself sanctified the water element by accepting Baptism from John...

The use of Epiphany water during Baptism, as well as holy water in general, is allowed only in those cases where the use of even unconsecrated water is allowed, that is, during the Baptism of infants by laity fear for the sake of death.

That is, even for the Baptism of infants, the water of the great hagiasma cannot be used except in the most extreme cases, when it is impossible to bless ordinary water for the Sacrament of Baptism. A baby cannot be baptized in it, but drunk uncles can swim in it?!

According to your faith it will be to you. But it is impossible to test, to tempt the Lord your God. We cannot risk the health of our children and our own health in the hope that God will save us if we act insanely. How many people got heart attacks from a sharp immersion in ice water, how many children got pneumonia due to hypothermia! The enemy of the human race, the devil, tries to take out the inner spiritual saving essence from everything that is good, ecclesiastical, holy, replacing it with an external, empty one that has no connection with the Lord Jesus Christ and the eternal salvation of the soul. It seems that they celebrated Easter by going to the cemetery and drinking vodka there, but in fact they only sinned and did not even remember the Risen Christ. It seems that they celebrated Epiphany by plunging into the icy water with booms and screams, but in fact they did not remember the cleansing of the soul from sin and, without any reverence, treated the holy water of the great shrine. It seems that the new year was joyfully met - but they didn’t remember that the New Year is from the Nativity of Christ, that you should not rejoice at the change in the number in the calendar of your gadget, but at the Incarnation of the Son of God, who descended from Heaven for us and for our salvation...

“If a person plunges into the Epiphany hole,
let this be a symbol of renewal for him."

- In our Russian tradition, immersion in holy springs is generally very common, and at any time of the year. And the spring water is always cold, the temperature there is about 4 degrees all year round. This is a kind of folk asceticism, when a Russian Orthodox person, visiting a holy place, certainly dips in the source - he tries to get in touch with the shrine as closely as possible. On the day of Theophany, we remember the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and someone also plunges into the newly consecrated hole in order to completely plunge into the image of the Savior.

Of course, swimming in the hole is not an indispensable part of the Feast of Epiphany. The church charter does not specifically prescribe this. This is an established pious custom, so there is no need to reproach those who are not used to winter swimming and are afraid to plunge into icy water. After all, the main purpose of holy water is to drink it little by little, to sprinkle your home, holy water should contribute to our spiritual life. Having brought holy water from the temple, it is necessary to sprinkle all the rooms with it, and then in the morning with a prayer to drink on an empty stomach and take it as a blessing from God. This is important, and not taking a shower on the day of Epiphany or an indispensable immersion in an ice hole.

It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the health of different people. After all, Christ was baptized not in the Russian winter hole, but in the warmer Jordan. How to be? If a Christian with poor health, for example, with a sick heart, plunges into an ice hole, for whom the very immersion in an ice hole is not a very useful stress, then my personal attitude to this will, perhaps, be twofold. Or, as they say, “according to your faith, let it be done to you” - and for the faith of the immersed, the Lord will save him from unwanted manifestations of the disease, and maybe even heal him. Or, if you do not have strong faith, then, as they say, “do not tempt the Lord your God”, do not take on feats that do not correspond to your strengths.

There are people who don't go to church very often, don't go to confession and don't take communion, but at Baptism they always plunge into the hole. Sometimes they say that such immersion washes away all sins from a person. It must be remembered that all sins from a person are washed away only in two cases - in the sacrament of Baptism, when a person enters the Church and is baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and during the sacrament of Confession, which, by the way, is called the second baptism. However, it is already good that unchurched people honor the church holiday at least in this way. Perhaps this serves as some kind of preliminary step on the path to a serious church life, and so far they are limited to such a tangible external form of communion with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord through immersion in the hole.

If a person plunges into the hole on the day of Baptism, then let this be a symbol of renewal for him, so that after that he will try to lead life as Christ commanded, so that the accepted immersion becomes a new incentive to follow the Savior in all the ways of his life. And just as you are not afraid to plunge into an ice hole, so do not be afraid to change your life from sin to virtue, do not be afraid to come to the temple, confess your secret sins, refrain from what defiles our soul - and then you will accept from the Lord Jesus Christ genuine renewal and joy of life.

For believers, bathing at Baptism means communion with the special grace of the Lord, which he sends to all water on this day. Water at Baptism brings health, both bodily and spiritual. In a sense, such bathing can be considered a certain sacrifice, because it is very difficult to plunge into icy water during a frost. It is as if a person sacrifices his comfort for the sake of the grace of the Lord. But at the same time, the church warns against attaching any magical meaning to this tradition.

How to bathe on Epiphany - rules

The ice-holes in which they bathe at Epiphany are consecrated. There are no hard and fast rules. But still, it is customary to quickly dive headlong into the water 3 times, while being baptized and saying: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Pray for yourself and for your family. Traditionally, it is believed that on Epiphany you should bathe in shirts, and not in swimsuits, so as not to flaunt your bodies.

How to bathe on Epiphany so as not to get sick

As you know, both old and young bathe at Epiphany. But without special preparation, swimming for children and the elderly can be dangerous. Let's talk about precautions that need to be taken seriously on this feast of the Epiphany. Doctors warn that swimming in ice water can lead to negative consequences.

Methods of hardening are different. If we talk about winter swimming in an ice hole, then it is the highest way, because it brings all the mechanisms of human thermoregulation to maximum stress. Such bathing leads to rather large changes in all body systems.

Doctors warn against bathing at Epiphany for people with hypertension, rheumatism, atherosclerosis, or tuberculosis. Bathing at Epiphany is also unacceptable for other acute chronic diseases. Well, if you are healthy, then adhere to the following recommendations on how to properly bathe at Epiphany:

1. You can swim only in the hole, where there is a special entrance to the water. Choose a familiar place.
2. Never go swimming at Epiphany alone. The person accompanying you should always be there to help in an unpredictable situation.
3. Bring a blanket or regular newspaper with you to put under your feet when you change.
4. If you are swimming for the first time in winter, after one dive, you should immediately get out of the water. So you gradually prepare the body.
5. Make sure that the clothes you take are comfortable for wearing on wet skin (not tight, with a small number of fasteners).
6. Alcohol and cigarettes are prohibited before swimming! Swimming on an empty stomach or immediately after eating is also unacceptable.

Is it necessary to bathe at Epiphany? And if there is no frost, will the bathing be Epiphany?

In any church holiday, it is necessary to distinguish between its meaning and the traditions that have developed around it. In the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the main thing is the Epiphany, this is the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, the voice of God the Father from heaven “This is my beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit descending on Christ. The main thing for a Christian on this day is the presence at the church service, confession and Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, communion of baptismal water.

The established traditions of bathing in cold ice holes are not directly related to the Feast of the Epiphany itself, are not mandatory and, most importantly, do not cleanse a person from sins, which, unfortunately, is much talked about in the media.

Such traditions should not be treated as magical rites - the feast of the Epiphany is celebrated by the Orthodox in hot Africa, America, and Australia. After all, the palm branches of the feast of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem were replaced by willows in Russia, and the consecration of vines on the Transfiguration of the Lord was a blessing for the harvest of apples. Also on the day of the Baptism of the Lord, all waters will be consecrated, regardless of their temperature.

Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev, press secretary of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese

Archpriest Sergiy Vogulkin, rector of the church in the name of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" of the city of Yekaterinburg, doctor of medical sciences, professor:

Probably, we should start not with bathing in Epiphany frosts, but with the most fertile feast of the Epiphany. The baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ sanctifies all water, in all its forms, because for two thousand years the water of the Jordan River, which touched the blessed body of Christ, rose millions of times to heaven, floated in the clouds and returned again as raindrops to the earth. What is it - in trees, in lakes, rivers, grasses? Pieces of her are everywhere. And now the feast of the Epiphany is approaching, when the Lord gives us an abundance of blessed water. Anxiety awakens in every person: what about me? After all, this is my chance to be cleansed! Wouldn't miss it! And now people without hesitation, even with some kind of despair, rush to the hole and, having plunged, then for a whole year they talk about their “feat”. Did they partake of the grace of our Lord, or amuse their pride?

An Orthodox person goes quietly from one church holiday to another, observing fasts, confessing and taking communion. And he prepares for the Epiphany slowly, deciding with his family who will be honored after confession and communion, according to the old Russian tradition, to plunge into the Jordan, and who, due to childhood or indisposition, will wash his face with holy water, or pour himself on a holy spring, or simply accept holy water with prayer like spiritual medicine. We, thank God, have plenty to choose from, and we do not need to risk thoughtlessly if a person is weakened by an illness. The Jordan is not the Sheep's Pool (see John 5:1-4) and must be approached with caution. An experienced priest will not bless everyone for swimming. He will take care of choosing a place, strengthening the ice, gangways, a warm place for undressing and dressing, and the presence of one of the Orthodox medical workers. Here, mass baptism will be appropriate and grace-filled.

Another thing is the mass of desperate people who decided, without a blessing and just an elementary thought, to swim "for the company" in ice water. Here we are talking not about the strength of the spirit, but about the strength of the body. The strongest spasm of the skin vessels in response to the action of cold water leads to the fact that a mass of blood rushes into the internal organs - the heart, lungs, brain, stomach, liver, and for people with poor health this can end badly.

The danger especially increases for those who were preparing for the "cleansing" in the hole with smoking and alcohol. The flow of blood to the lungs will only increase the chronic inflammation of the bronchi, which always accompanies smoking, can cause swelling of the bronchial wall and pneumonia. Prolonged intake of alcohol or acute intoxication and in warm water constantly lead to misfortunes, to say nothing of swimming in the hole. The arterial vessels of an alcoholic or a domestic drunkard, even if he is relatively young, are not able to respond correctly to massive cold exposure, in these cases one can expect paradoxical reactions up to cardiac and respiratory arrest. With such bad habits and in such a state, it is better not to approach the hole.

- Explain all the same, why should an Orthodox person bathe in icy water at Epiphany when it is over thirty degrees outside?

Priest Svyatoslav Shevchenko:– It is necessary to distinguish between folk customs and church liturgical practice. The Church does not call on believers to climb into icy water - everyone decides for himself individually. But today the custom of plunging into a frosty hole has become something newfangled for non-church people. It is clear that on major Orthodox holidays, a religious outburst occurs among the Russian people - and there is nothing wrong with that. But it is not very good that people limit themselves to this superficial ablution. Moreover, some seriously believe that, having bathed in the Epiphany Jordan, they will wash away all the sins that have accumulated over the year. These are pagan superstitions and have nothing to do with church teaching. Sins are forgiven by the priest in the sacrament of Repentance. In addition, in the search for thrills, we miss the main essence of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Is it necessary to "dive" into the cold water?

Consecration with water can only be carried out by a clergyman of the Church. The ceremony is preceded by the reading of the appropriate prayers and the immersion of the cross in the "Jordan", in the water. On the days of the Baptism of the Lord, all water becomes holy and is used by the Orthodox for healing, prayer and strengthening of the spirit. It is important to remember that a full ablution with holy water is certainly part of the tradition, but it is not necessary to completely immerse yourself in the hole.

Ablution in consecrated reservoirs is carried out in order to strengthen and harden the body. This tradition originates from the bathing of babies in ice water among the ancient Scythian peoples.

The Church explains that washing in the hole is not the duty of believers, touching holy water by people should be done according to their strength, for example, it is enough for weak and sick people to scoop up water and wash themselves, and only the most courageous are allowed to immerse their whole body in the cold water of the reservoir.

It is important to remember that washing does not remove sins from a person, this happens after a series of prayers and during the traditional communion procedure.

Training

To the "Jordan", a hole in the shape of a cross, you need to approach in non-slip shoes (slippers, slates) or woolen socks. Walking barefoot in the snow can injure your feet or cause loss of feeling in your feet. Women are allowed to dip in a bathing suit or a plain long linen shirt. Men can dive in swimming trunks or underwear. From the house you need to grab a large towel, a warm bathrobe and a set of dry linen. In addition, it is recommended to grab hot tea in a thermos, preferably with honey.

There is no need to rush to the hole, it is important to remember that the path can be slippery, so you need to step slowly and carefully. Before plunging into the water, it is advised to do some warm-up movements, such as squats, swings or bends.

Basic Rules

1. Diving is allowed only in specially cut holes, the so-called "Jordan". The ice hole should be close to the shore, it is desirable that lifeguards are on duty nearby. Help will be invaluable if someone suddenly becomes ill from a temperature drop or begins to drag under water.

2. The steps of the ladder must be stable, and the ladder itself must be firmly fixed. For safety net, it is better if a rope with knots hangs over Jordan. It is needed so that dipping people can hold on to it.

3. You can dive up to the neck, but if health allows, then they plunge three times with their heads. After the believers read the prayer "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!" and baptized three times

4. Diving head first is prohibited. You need to enter the water gradually, keeping the vertical position of the body. Displacement of the body can provoke a blow to the ice edge.

5. The total time spent in cold water should not exceed 2 minutes. Otherwise, it is easy to get hypothermia of the body, especially if you plunged headlong, as this causes large heat losses.

6. After leaving the hole, it is important to thoroughly rub the body with a towel, dry off and change into woolen clothes.

Contraindications

Swimming in an ice hole, like an extreme procedure, has contraindications. So, it is strictly forbidden to plunge into ice water if a person is sick with acute respiratory viral diseases, is in a feverish or alcoholic state. Persons with diseases of the heart, cardiovascular system, central nervous system and chronic endocrinological diseases are also contraindicated in complete immersion in the winter hole.