Swimming in a hole on Epiphany remains one of the most popular traditions in Ukraine. Every year, on January 19, thousands of people across the country immerse themselves in the icy water, believing in its miraculous properties. However, despite the popularity of this custom, its historical basis and safety remain controversial.
If you still want to join in the ice diving, be sure to remember how to swim properly on Epiphany. Follow safety precautions to avoid health problems.
Priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Vasyl Levchenko, priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, activist, rector of the Open Orthodox University of Saint Sophia-Wisdom Georgy Kovalenko, and therapist Tetyana Gradyk spoke about baptismal traditions.
How the Ukrainian Church views bathing on Epiphany
Vasyl Levchenko explained why you can't swim on Epiphany. He said that diving into a hole is not a church or Ukrainian tradition , so there are no requirements regarding what clothes to wear.
According to the priest, “ Jordanian bathing came to Ukraine in the post-Soviet 90s, when “gangsters” who pretended to be officials began to take pictures and show what “pious people” they were and bathed on Epiphany. Such fun on the holiday was especially widespread on Russian territory.
In the memoirs of the Cossack era, there are stories about how the Cossacks, the Ukrainians of that time, treated the consecration of water on Epiphany Day with respect. People would go for water with their vessels and never step into the newly consecrated water, which they would reverently collect for themselves at home.”
This opinion was confirmed by priest Georgy Kovalenko. As he explained, the “tradition” of baptismal baths appeared in the post-Soviet period and is an echo of the old mass baptisms of believers on the eve of Epiphany.
Immersion in water on Epiphany was customary in the territories where Christianity originated, in particular the Roman Empire. There, the winters were much milder than in Ukraine, so the custom did not pose any health risks. It is worth noting that in Greece there is a tradition of retrieving a cross from the water, which the bishop throws out, and many people swim and dive after it. This is a church-wide pastime.
And diving into a pit should be perceived as a kind of festive folk entertainment in our country, and not as a religious tradition.
How to properly swim at Vodochreshche
Therapist Tetyana Gradyk explained how to properly dive into a pit. It is mandatory to observe the following rules:
- People should not be hungry.
- You need to stay in the water for no longer than 3-5 seconds.
- It is better to dip only up to the neck so as not to wet the hair. If the hair remains dry, the probability of SARS will decrease.
- Before diving, prepare dry towels and clothes so that you can dry off and get dressed immediately after diving.
Only under such conditions will diving be safe.
Who cannot swim at Vodokhreshche
Tatyana Gradyk reminds that with :
- chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system and a previous heart attack;
- hypertension;
- diseases of the nervous system (for example, epilepsy);
- craniocerebral injuries;
- disorders of brain vessels;
- endocrine diseases, including diabetes;
- skin and venereological diseases;
- recent surgeries or severe injuries.
People who have glaucoma, acute inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses or ears or conjunctivitis, inflammation of the lungs, bronchitis, bronchial asthma should also avoid diving into the pit. Those who have diseases of the genitourinary system, gastrointestinal tract, for example, stomach ulcer, cholecystitis, should not dive.
The doctor also explained whether it is possible to swim in Vodokhreshche for children :
“I would not recommend dipping children under the age of three into a hole. If a child is between 3 and 10 years old, they can only swim in a hole with the permission of a pediatrician. Children must be healthy to dive into icy water, and before swimming they must undergo training, gradually hardening daily or at least weekly for a year. During hardening, the temperature in which children bathe should be gradually reduced.”
According to the therapist, 10-year-old children can try to dive into the pit together with adults after preliminary preparation, if they have no contraindications for swimming.
