| Description | Epiphany, 19 January 2008
Epiphany (Greek for "appearance" or "revelation"), is a Christian feast day
which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of God in human form
in the person of Jesus Christ.
Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River,
his manifestation as the Son of God to the world. It is also called Theophany
("manifestation of God").
The Orthodox Churches perform the Great Blessing of Waters on Theophany.
The blessing is normally done twice: once on the Eve of the Feast梪sually at a
font inside the church梐nd then again on the day of the feast, outdoors at a
body of water.
Following the Divine Liturgy, the clergy and people go in a Crucession
(procession with the cross) to the nearest body of water. At the end
of the ceremony the priest will bless the waters. In Russia, where
the winters are severe, a hole will be cut into the ice so that the waters
may be blessed. In such conditions, the cross is held by the priest and
dipped three times into the water.
Orthodox Christianity teaches that the Great Blessing of Waters actually
changes the nature of the water, and that water so blessed is no longer
corruptible, but remains fresh for many years.
Also, many Orthodox Christians participate in the annual Orthodox tradition of
plunging through ice holes and bathing in icy waters to cleanse themselves on Epiphany.
This is my first full report on the event
of the Epiphany celebration in Volgograd.
The ritual of Blessing of Waters was performed by
His Eminence German, the Metropolitan of Volgograd and Kamyshin. |
