My Ukrainian ENGinbuddy told me about an interesting Ukrainian ritual for the celebration of the Epiphany.
In Ukraine, the celebration of Epiphany, or “Yordan” (also known as “Vodokhreshche”), takes place on January 19th. It’s a major religious holiday in the Orthodox Christian tradition, marking the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. A key part of the celebration is the ritual of ice swimming, where people plunge into rivers or lakes, often after a cross-shaped hole has been cut into the ice.
Several things immediately come to mind….
¿Quien Es Mas Macho?
There is a certain Saturday Night Live “¿Quien Es Mas Macho?” vibe to the Ukrainian tradition of Epiphany Ice Bathing. This appeals to WLBOTT.
Significant Shrinkage
There is also a certain Seinfeld vibe to the Ukrainian tradition of Epiphany Ice Bathing. This does not appeal to WLBOTT.
We need to learn a lot more about the Ukrainian!
Reuters has an interesting pictorial essay on the tradition of Ice Bathing on the Epiphany.
Of Special Note
Of special note: does this Ukrainian guy have a tattoo of Kamala Harris?
NPR Photo Essay
“Do it fast and don’t scream,” Nikolai Pastushenko, 34, thinks as he wades into the icy cold water of the river running through the center of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. He does the sign of the cross across his bare chest and then he dunks. Once. Twice. Three times. His mind goes blank.
Pastushenko is one of about three dozen people who have come down to this spot along the Dnipro River to take the plunge, a tradition across Ukraine on Jan. 19. The Christian holiday of Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus Christ, though this annual ice swim’s religious ties are loose. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has been vocal in its objections to it, including in a Facebook post this week that said, “there is no religious reason for the immersion in winter water and never has been.“
There is a beautiful photo essay on Radio Free Europe featuring the nuns of a northern Macadonia convent making bishops’ hats (miters). [ed. note: WLBOTT considers Radio Free Europe one of the coolest endevors of humanity, and we hope to do a BLOTT about them in the fullness of time.]
The WLBOTT Connection
Due to our massive on-line popularity, it’s only a matter of time before devotees create a WLBOTT religion.
We want to stay on top of this. Theology, rituals, epistemology, endocrinology, eschatology… these can all wait. We need to focus on hats of the faithful.
As far as the top leadership position in the new religion, the hat is actually better than the job.
Hats of the Faithful
Reference
Ablution in Christianity
Believing that on Epiphany day water becomes holy and is imbued with special powers, Eastern Orthodox cut holes in the ice of lakes and rivers, often in the shape of the cross, to bathe in the freezing water.
In traditionally Orthodox nations, water, baptismal rites and rituals of purification are typically central to Epiphany celebration
Wikipedia / Image by RIA Novosti archive, image #550901 / Vitaliy Ankov
Epiphany (Holiday)
Epiphany is a Christian feast day commemorating the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the wedding at Cana.
In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not solely) the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child, and thus Jesus Christ’s physical manifestation to the Gentiles. It is sometimes called Three Kings’ Day, and in some traditions celebrated as Little Christmas. Moreover, the feast of the Epiphany, in some denominations, also initiates the liturgical season of Epiphanytide.
Eastern Christians, on the other hand, commemorate the baptism of Jesus (but it is also called Epiphany) in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. The spot marked by Al-Maghtas in Jordan, adjacent to Qasr al-Yahud in the West Bank, is considered to be the original site of the baptism of Jesus and the ministry of John the Baptist.
An epiphany (from the ancient Greek ἐπιφάνεια, epiphanea, “manifestation, striking appearance”) is an experience of a sudden and striking realization. Generally the term is used to describe a scientific breakthrough or a religious or philosophical discovery, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective. Epiphanies are studied by psychologists and other scholars, particularly those attempting to study the process of innovation.
The word epiphany originally referred to insight through the divine. Today, this concept is more often used without such connotations, but a popular implication remains that the epiphany is supernatural, as the discovery seems to come suddenly from the outside.
WLBOTT: Are you able to predict the odds of having a heart attack if you jump into icy water?
Elder G: Jumping into icy water does come with some risks, particularly for people with underlying heart conditions. While I can’t predict individual odds without specific health data, I can explain the general risks involved:
When you suddenly enter icy water, your body experiences what is called the “cold shock response.” This includes:
– Rapid increase in heart rate and blood pressure. – Constriction of blood vessels. – Hyperventilation (rapid breathing).
These physiological reactions can put stress on the heart. For someone with heart disease, high blood pressure, or other cardiovascular issues, this sudden stress could potentially trigger a heart attack or other cardiac events.
Healthy individuals, though, usually handle the cold shock response without serious harm, as their bodies can adapt to the sudden temperature change.
If you’re considering such a plunge, it’s wise to get medical advice, especially if you have any heart conditions or health concerns. Would you like me to look up some more detailed studies or resources on this topic?
