A celebration of baptism happens on January 19. It is a celebration of the baptism of Christ. All Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox Churches have long services in the morning, and after the service the priests bless the water. Many people believe that the water that was blessed can stand in a bottle until next Christmas and it will never become contaminated. Besides the well known churches, such as Pecherska Lavra and Vladimirsky Cathedral, it would be a good idea to visit a lesser known church on this baptism holiday, the only one near Hydropark subway station. After the service many believers take a swim in the cold water of the Dnipro river, and you can join them too, if you wish. Since this particular day of the year is thought to be the coldest, the lakes and rivers are typically frozen over. But this does not stop the true believers! In the morning before the service, volunteers cut an opening in the ice, usually in the shape of a cross, for people to sink into. This cross cut in the ice has a special name “Iordan” (Jordan) because Christ was baptised in the Jordan River. The water is blessed by a priest, and the participants of the ceremony take a swim in the icy cold water. Amazingly, people hardly ever get sick after such a chilling experience. It is believed that you can heal many illnesses by swimming in the river on this particularly holy day.
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