Bathing in the pool at Vodokhreshche remains one of the most popular traditions in Ukraine. Every year, on January 19, thousands of people across the country plunge into the icy water, believing in its miraculous properties. However, despite the widespread use of this custom, its historical basis and safety remain controversial.
If you still want to participate in diving in a crisis, then be sure to remember how to properly swim at the Epiphany. Follow safety precautions to avoid health problems.
The priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Vasyl Levchenko, the priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, activist, rector of the Open Orthodox University of St. Sophia-Wisdom Heorhiy Kovalenko and therapist Tetiana Gradyk talked about the traditions of the water cross.
How does the Ukrainian church feel about bathing at Vodochreshche?
Vasyl Levchenko explained why you can't swim at Vodokhreshche. He said that diving into a pit is not a church or Ukrainian tradition , so there are no requirements regarding what clothes to do it in.
According to the priest, " Jordanian bathing came to Ukraine in the post-Soviet 90s, when the "gangsters" who played tricks on officials began to take pictures and show what "pious people" they are and bathe in Vodochreshche. This kind of holiday fun was especially widespread on Russian territory.
In the memories of the Cossack era, there are stories about how the Cossacks, the Ukrainians of that time, respected the consecration of water on Epiphany Day. People went for water with their vessels and never got into the newly consecrated water, which they reverently took home."
This opinion was confirmed by priest George Kovalenko. As he explained, the "tradition" of Epiphany 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 accepted in the territories of the birth of Christianity, in particular the Roman Empire. The winters there 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 the cross that the bishop throws out of the water, and many people swim and dive after it. This is near-church fun.
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 in the pool. If the child is between 3 and 10 years old, he can bathe in the pool only with the pediatrician's permission. To dive into ice water, children must be healthy, and before swimming they must undergo training, gradually hardening themselves daily or at least weekly throughout the 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.
