One of the main holidays for Christians is Epiphany. It is also called Epiphany. It is believed that it was on this day that Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan. Followers of the Orthodox Christian faith celebrate this holiday on January 19. what to cook on this day, what beliefs are associated with it... You will learn all this by reading this article.
About the holiday
All four evangelists mention Baptism in their revelations. But this holiday received the name Epiphany due to the fact that during the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the sacred waters of the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a snow-white dove. This is written about in the Gospel of Luke. After the dove descended from heaven, the voice of God was heard amidst the roar, proclaiming Jesus as his beloved son. Today, Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany on January 19, but Catholics continue to celebrate this holiday on January 6. Naturally, on the eve of the holiday, any housewife is interested in what is being prepared for Epiphany, January 19th. After all, we are used to the fact that everyone church holiday has its own special traditions, which in most cases are associated with the preparation of a particular dish.
Celebration
If you follow all the rules, then the feast of Epiphany, or Epiphany, should be celebrated for 8 days, of which 4 are the pre-celebration, and the remaining 4 are the post-celebration. And these days, it is not so important what to cook for the feast of Epiphany; what is more important is that Epiphany consecrated water is “life-giving” and helps to cure many ailments. By the way, it is popularly believed that even tap water is special on Epiphany. If it is not possible to go to the temple for water, then you can drink a glass of it from the tap, and only after some time (at least half an hour) after that you can have breakfast. But the blessed Epiphany water brought from the temple should be consumed one spoonful on an empty stomach. In the houses of believers, such water is stored in By the way, if you are interested in what is prepared for Epiphany, January 19, then on Christmas Eve you need to eat Lenten dishes, but for the holiday itself - everything you want. Nevertheless, there are some dishes, the presence of which is not only desirable, but also mandatory, for example, a whole roasted pig.
January 19 - pre-holiday and holiday table menu
So, the main dishes on Christmas Eve should be Lenten, for example, kutia, Lenten pies, cookies, uzvar, flat cakes, jelly, etc. There should be either seven, nine or twelve of these dishes on the pre-holiday table. In the old days, kutya was usually washed down with uzvar. Cookies were shaped like crosses, pancakes were made from wheat or oats, then filled with cherries, etc. Another Lenten dish on Christmas Eve there are cabbage rolls without eating meat, that is, instead of filling, rice with vegetables is used, as well as borscht with beans. In Ukraine, on this day they baked loaves - karachuns. At the same time, people not only ate these foods, but also fed them to livestock.
Kutya - sochivo
This is what housewives cook for Epiphany (January 19). We will tell you the recipe and method of preparation in this chapter.
Required Products
- peeled wheat - 100-200 grams;
- honey - two tablespoons;
- poppy - 50 g;
- dried fruits or candied fruits - 1 handful;
- walnuts, cashews, almonds (kernels), etc. - 1 cup.
Cooking method
1. Soak the wheat grains by pouring cold boiled water over them. In a few hours excess water drain, add water again and put on the stove to cook.
2. After the water in the pan boils, reduce the heat and cook for about 40 minutes.
3. Rinse the poppy seeds, pour boiling water over them and leave aside to swell; do the same with dried fruits.
4. After the wheat is cooked, place it in a colander and let the water drain.
5. Grind the swollen poppy seeds in a mortar or blender until a milky mass forms.
6. If necessary, nuts should be lightly fried (without adding oil) in a frying pan, and honey should be diluted warm water until a thick syrup forms.
7. Cut dried fruits into small pieces.
8. Mix all ingredients in a deep bowl. At the end, pour honey sauce over everything.
9. Transfer the kutya to holiday dish and garnish with whole dried fruits.
Epiphany cookies - “Cross”
Of course, one of the main treats on the baptism table is the cross. To prepare them you need the following ingredients: flour (a quarter kilogram), one egg, half a pack butter and half a glass granulated sugar, as well as salt and vanillin on the tip of a knife. All ingredients need to be mixed and kneaded into an elastic dough. Then roll it out on the table into a layer and cut it into strips, and form crosses from them, decorate the middle with nuts or candied fruit. Bake in the oven until golden brown.
Folk signs for January 19 - Epiphany
Among the people there are many signs that are associated with the holiday of Epiphany. Here are some of them. If the clouds in the sky are blue at noon, this means that the coming year will be fruitful. The same thing means if it snows in flakes on the night of Epiphany. But if it is cloudless and the stars shine brightly, then the year will be lean. If the loud barking of dogs is heard this night, it also means that hunters will be lucky this year. If a snowstorm breaks out on Epiphany night, this means that the winter will be long and will continue for another 3 months. But if there is a full moon on Epiphany, then in the spring you need to wait for the flood.
Traditions
Despite the frost, on Epiphany after prayer people begin to dive into rivers and ice holes. This is done in order to recover from diseases. It is believed that those who are baptized on this day will be happy throughout their lives. And the engagement that took place on this day is also fortunate. After the feast of Epiphany until Maslenitsa, the period of weddings began in Rus'. On Epiphany night, girls told fortunes about the first person they met. If he turned out to be an old man, then this was not good, but if he was a young guy, then this meant a quick marriage. In some settlements, viewings of future brides took place on this day. The girls dressed up and stood on the shore. Those who wanted to get married wore a shirt with red stripes along the hem. Naturally, each of them knew what was being prepared for baptism on January 19, and prepared these dishes herself. And when matchmakers came to their house, the girl’s mother, treating them, boasted that all these delicacies were prepared by her daughter. There was also such a belief: in the morning, if “the sky is open” (that is, not covered with clouds), then you need to pray to heaven, and any request will be heard by God. Since ancient times, in cities and villages, ice holes were cut out on ice-covered rivers - Jordans - into which believers dived. It was believed that it was necessary to collect water from three Jordans and store it until spring, and then sprinkle the soil in order for there to be a good harvest.
On January 19, 2015, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Epiphany. The holiday also has the name Epiphany and is celebrated annually on January 19th. Epiphany is one of the most ancient and revered holidays among Christians.
Brief history of the holiday Epiphany
The baptism of Christ was performed by John the Baptist at his request. During his baptism on the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. At the same time, a Voice from Heaven declared: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” According to Christian teachings, it was on this day that God appeared in three persons: God the Father in voice, the Son of God in flesh, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. That is why the feast of Epiphany is often called Epiphany. The holiday of Epiphany is very important. It is believed that it was baptism that revealed the Savior to the world, who took upon himself all the sins of mankind. John Chrysostom wrote about this. And it was from the moment of baptism that Jesus began to preach the word of God and enlighten people.
Until now, the main traditions of the Epiphany holiday are associated with water. And the clergy traditionally wear white vestments on the feast of Epiphany.
How to celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord
The celebration of Epiphany (January 19) begins the day before - January 18. This day is called Epiphany Christmas Eve, as well as Hungry Kutya. By analogy with Christmas Eve, on the day before the feast of the Epiphany it is necessary observe strict fast . Also on the eve of the feast of Epiphany, Orthodox prepared Lenten kutya. The festive dinner on Epiphany Eve was called “hungry kutya”. The obligatory dishes of this meal were kutia, pancakes, and oatmeal jelly.
Kutya, Kolivo, Kanun - ritual funeral dish Slavs, porridge cooked from whole grains of wheat (barley, rice - Saracen millet or other cereals), sprinkled with honey, honey syrup or sugar, with the addition of poppy seeds, raisins, nuts, milk or jam.
An important event Epiphany and Epiphany is blessing of water. On a river or lake, a cross-shaped hole called Jordan is cut out in advance in the ice. At midnight, priests bless the water in the wormwood, and believers take a bath in the consecrated water. People are not afraid of the cold because bathing for Epiphany- this is a symbolic cleansing from sins, spiritual rebirth. Believers eagerly await the Feast of Epiphany, and when the Epiphany of the Lord comes, the Orthodox are sure to attend church to remember a miraculous event that changed the world.
How to swim properly at Epiphany
For believers, bathing at Epiphany means communion with the special grace of the Lord, which he sends to all the water on this day. It is also believed that water at Epiphany brings health, both physical and spiritual. At the same time, the church warns against attaching any magical meaning to this tradition.
Rules for bathing at Epiphany
The ice holes or Jordans in which people bathe at Epiphany are blessed. There are no strict rules for those who want to plunge into Jordan for Epiphany. But still, it is customary to quickly plunge headlong into the water 3 times, while crossing yourself and saying: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is traditionally believed that on Epiphany one should swim in shirts and not in swimsuits, so as not to expose one’s body.
Epiphany water - wonderful healing properties
In all springs consecrated at Epiphany, the water becomes holy and healing. It is believed, and this has many confirmations, that Epiphany holy water has miraculous and healing properties:
Believers take it with them - Epiphany holy water has the ability not to spoil for a long time.
Epiphany water is drunk on an empty stomach throughout the year, it is carefully preserved as a shrine and illnesses, both physical and mental, are treated.
Saint Epiphany water You can sprinkle your home to drive out evil spirits and bring the grace of God into your home.
Where to get Epiphany holy water
If you want to collect blessed Epiphany water after bathing, you don’t have to bring canisters. A small bottle is enough. According to Christian canons, any water can be made holy if you add a little baptismal water to it - from a temple or from Jordan. Festive services will be held in all Orthodox churches on the night from 18 to 19. But it is not necessary to come on this particular day. As explained in the Moscow Patriarchate, water becomes holy after a special water blessing prayer. Access to containers with Epiphany water will be open in churches for several days. In addition, on Epiphany, queues are expected to form for holy water, and it will be difficult to get to the temples. According to safety rules, on major religious holidays, parking near temples within 50 meters is prohibited.
When to collect Epiphany water
The rite of the Great Blessing of Water (Great Agiasma) is performed on Epiphany Eve (January 18) after the Divine Liturgy and on January 19 - on the day of the Epiphany itself. During both days, you can collect Epiphany water in any church. Both times the water is blessed with the same rite, so there is no difference in when to collect the water - on Christmas Eve or on the Feast of Epiphany itself.
If you decide to draw Epiphany water from the tap and want to know when is the best time to do it. It is better to collect water for Epiphany in the time interval from 00:10 to 01:30 on the night of January 18th to 19th. However, you can collect Epiphany water later - until 24:00 on January 19.
What you need to know before collecting water for Epiphany:
It is better to collect Epiphany water not thoughtlessly, but after participating in church service(in church) or prayer (at home);
you need to pour water for Epiphany into a container without any markings - preferably into a special jug or flask purchased at a church store (in no case into a beer bottle)
It is believed that Epiphany water has healing properties. You can drink it when you are sick on an empty stomach and wash your face to stay healthy. You need to drink Epiphany holy water with prayer, asking the Almighty for spiritual and physical health. And it is not at all necessary to take it in reserve; there should be a lot of faith, not water.
Baptism - folk traditions
Previously, there were special folk traditions celebration of Epiphany or Epiphany. For example, at Epiphany it was customary to release doves - as a sign of Divine grace descending on Jesus Christ. Other folk traditions for Epiphany are known from legends.
In Rus', on the day of the Epiphany, as soon as the first church bells will call for matins, pious believers lit a fire on the shore so that Jesus Christ, who was baptized in the Jordan, could also warm himself by the fire.
They began to prepare the Jordan a week before Epiphany: they cut a hole in the river, sawed out a large cross and placed it over the hole. The throne was also cut out of ice. The “royal doors” were decorated with Christmas tree branches.
On the morning of the holiday, after the service, everyone went to the river. After the blessing of the water in the river, all those gathered collected it in their dishes. It was believed that the sooner you scoop it up, the more holy it will be. There were brave souls who swam in the Jordan, remembering that it was impossible to catch a cold in the blessed water.
Then everyone went home. And while the women were setting the table, the eldest man in the family sprinkled the entire household with Epiphany water. Before eating, everyone drank consecrated water. After eating, the girls hurried to the river to wash in “Jordanian water”, “so that their faces were pink.”
After Epiphany, it was forbidden to wash clothes in the river. According to legend, when the priest immerses the cross in water, the whole evil spirits jumps out of fear, and then sits on the shore and waits for someone to appear with dirty laundry. As soon as the laundry is lowered into the river, along it, like a ladder, all the evil spirits go into the water. Therefore, it was believed that the later women began to wash, the more wickedness would freeze out from the Epiphany frosts.
Fortune telling for Epiphany
There were other traditions - it was believed that miracles happened at Epiphany midnight: the wind subsided for a moment, complete silence reigned and the heavens opened. At this time, you can express your cherished wish, which will definitely come true.
There is another tradition at Epiphany, which, however, is not approved by the church. On January 19, Christmastide ends - the period of fortune telling in Rus'. On Epiphany night, the girls sought to understand what awaited them in the future, whether they would get married, whether the year would be successful.
Baptism - folk signs
Since ancient times, many folk signs have been associated with Epiphany. Many of them were associated with economic activity peasants or predicted the weather. So, for example, folk signs for Epiphany read:
If the weather is clear and cold at Epiphany, the summer will be dry; cloudy and fresh - to a bountiful harvest.
A full month for Epiphany means a big spring flood.
Starry night on Epiphany - the summer will be dry, there will be a harvest for peas and berries.
There will be a thaw at Epiphany - for the harvest, and a clear day at Epiphany - for the harvest failure.
The wind will blow from the south on Epiphany - it will be a stormy summer.
If it snows during the liturgy, especially while going to the water, then next year it is expected to be grain-bearing, and the bees will produce many swarms.
When is Epiphany The dogs were barking a lot, waiting for a successful hunting season: If dogs bark a lot on Epiphany, there will be plenty of all kinds of animals and game. Chickens are not fed at Epiphany so that the gardens are not dug in the summer and the seedlings are not spoiled.
The Russian folk calendar associates the holiday of Epiphany with frost. Epiphany frosts: “Cracking frost, not crackling, but Vodokreshchi has passed.
How to swim properly at Epiphany so as not to get sick
Both old and young swim at Epiphany. But without special preparation, swimming can be dangerous for children and the elderly. It’s better to prepare in advance by gradually hardening yourself by pouring cold water at home in the bathroom. Precautionary measures must be observed by everyone who decides to swim at Epiphany. Doctors warn people with hypertension, rheumatism, atherosclerosis or tuberculosis from swimming at Epiphany. Swimming at Epiphany is also unacceptable for other acute conditions. chronic diseases. Doctors warn that swimming in ice water may lead to negative consequences. After all, winter swimming in an ice hole leads to maximum voltage all mechanisms of human thermoregulation and this can cause shock.
Well, if you are healthy, then follow these recommendations: how to swim properly at Epiphany:
You can swim on Epiphany only in an ice hole where there is a special entrance to the water;
never go swimming at Epiphany alone, there should be a person nearby who can help if necessary;
Alcohol and cigarettes are prohibited before swimming; do not swim on an empty stomach or immediately after eating;
Bring a blanket with you, as well as clothes that are comfortable for changing.
Epiphany is a holiday with history and rich traditions. But the main thing, of course, is not the ritual, but the great meaning that it carries. The Orthodox holiday of the Epiphany of the Lord has great importance for believers, because this is the day when a person’s spiritual renewal occurs.
And our Savior Jesus Christ
On this day, Christians around the world remember one of the key gospel events - the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
Baptism also has a second name, Epiphany, which it received in memory of the miraculous incident that happened to Jesus Christ during the ritual.
Jesus was baptized by the prophet John the Baptist, who is also called the Baptist. The Gospel tells us how during the ritual, the Holy Spirit descended on Christ in the form of a dove. At the same moment, a voice from heaven proclaimed:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
After his baptism, Jesus Christ went into solitude into the desert, where, through prayer and fasting, he prepared to fulfill his critical mission, with which he came to earth.
The Orthodox Church classifies the feast of the Baptism of Christ as one of the twelve. According to the Julian calendar, the holiday is celebrated on January 6, and according to the new style - on January 19. The Epiphany of the Lord ends the Christmas season.
“On this day, everyone, having drawn water, brings it home and keeps it all year long, since today the waters are blessed; and a clear sign occurs: this water in its essence does not deteriorate over time, but, drawn today, it remains intact and fresh for a whole year, and often two and three years.”
Traditionally, on the day of the Epiphany, the blessing of water is performed. The water is blessed twice - on the eve of the holiday, and then directly on the holy day itself.
On January 19, on Epiphany, a “Jordan” was cut in any local reservoir - an ice hole in the form of a cross or a circle. A lectern is installed not far from it and wooden cross with an ice dove that symbolizes the Holy Spirit.
After the obligatory festive liturgy, people went to the ice hole. The priest served a prayer service, after which he lowered the cross into the hole three times, asking for God's blessing on the water.
According to tradition, Epiphany water, which was collected from consecrated springs, is stored for a whole year - until the next holiday of Epiphany. If necessary, it should be drunk on an empty stomach, while praying.
Despite the fact that there is no fasting on the feast of the Epiphany, the day before is Christmas Eve, it is necessary to observe strict fasting. The traditional dish of this day is sochivo, which is prepared from cereals, honey and raisins.
As Politeka reported,
Epiphany or Epiphany is one of the most important twelve holidays of Orthodoxy. Read all about the history of this event in the article!
Epiphany, or Epiphany - January 19, 2019
What kind of holiday is this?
Forefeast of Epiphany
Since ancient times, Epiphany has been one of the great twelve holidays. Even in the Apostolic Constitutions (Book 5, Chapter 12) it is commanded: “Let you have great respect for the day on which the Lord revealed the Divinity to us.” This holiday in Orthodox Church celebrated with equal grandeur as the feast of the Nativity of Christ. Both of these holidays, connected by “Christmastide” (from December 25 to January 6), constitute, as it were, one celebration. Almost immediately after the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ (from January 2), the Church begins to prepare us for the solemn feast of the Epiphany of the Lord with stichera and troparions (at Vespers), three songs (at Compline) and canons (at Matins) specially dedicated to the upcoming holiday, and church hymns in The honor of Epiphany has been heard since January 1: at Matins of the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, the irmos of the canons of Epiphany are sung on the catavasia: “He has opened the depths, there is a bottom...” and “A stormy storm is moving in the sea...”. With its sacred memories, following from Bethlehem to the Jordan and commemorating the events of Baptism, the Church in the pre-festive stichera calls on the faithful:
“We will go from Bethlehem to the Jordan, for there the Light is already beginning to illuminate those who are in darkness.” The coming Saturday and Sunday before Epiphany are called Saturday and the Week before Epiphany (or Enlightenment).
Eve of Epiphany
The eve of the holiday - January 5 - is called the Eve of Epiphany, or Christmas Eve. The services of the Vigil and the holiday itself are in many ways similar to the service of the Vigil and the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.
On the Eve of Epiphany on January 5 (as well as on the Eve of the Nativity of Christ), the Church prescribes strict fasting: eating food once after the blessing of water. If the Vespers happen on Saturday and Sunday, the fast is made easier: instead of once, eating food is allowed twice - after the liturgy and after the blessing of water. If the reading of the Great Hours from the Vespers, which happened on Saturday or Sunday, is postponed to Friday, then there is no fasting on that Friday.
Features of the service on the Eve of the holiday
On all weekdays (except Saturday and Sunday), the service of the Vesper of Epiphany consists of the Great Hours, Fine Hours and Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great; After the liturgy (after the prayer behind the pulpit), the water is blessed. If Christmas Eve happens on Saturday or Sunday, then the Great Hours take place on Friday, and there is no liturgy on that Friday; the liturgy of St. Basil the Great is moved to the day of the holiday. On the very day of Christmas Eve, the liturgy of St. St. John Chrysostom occurs in due time, followed by Vespers and after it the Blessing of Water.
The Great Hours of the Epiphany and their contents
The troparia point to the division of the waters of the Jordan by Elisha with the mantle of the prophet Elijah as a prototype of the true Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, by which the watery nature was sanctified and during which the Jordan stopped its natural flow. The last troparion describes the tremulous feeling of Saint John the Baptist when the Lord came to him to be baptized. In the parimia of the 1st hour, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, the Church proclaims the spiritual renewal of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (Is. 25).
The Apostle and the Gospel proclaim the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, who testified to the eternal and Divine greatness of Christ (Acts 13:25-32; Matt. 3:1-11). At the 3rd hour, in special psalms - 28 and 41 - the prophet depicts the power and authority of the baptized Lord over water and all the elements of the world: “The voice of the Lord is on the waters: the God of glory will roar, the Lord on many waters. The voice of the Lord in the fortress; The voice of the Lord is in splendor...” These psalms are also joined by the usual 50th psalm. The troparia of the hour reveal the experiences of John the Baptist - awe and fear at the Baptism of the Lord - and the manifestation in this great event of the mystery of the Trinity of the Divinity. In parimia we hear the voice of the prophet Isaiah, foreshadowing spiritual rebirth through baptism and Calling for the acceptance of this sacrament: “Wash yourself, and you will be clean” (Is. 1: 16-20).
The Apostle talks about the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:1-8), and the Gospel talks about the Forerunner who prepared the way for the Lord (Mark 1:1-3). At the 6th hour, in Psalms 73 and 76, King David prophetically depicts the Divine greatness and omnipotence of the One who came to be baptized in the form of a servant: “Who is a great God like our God? You are God, work miracles. You saw the waters, O God, and you were afraid: the abyss was crushed.”
The usual 90th psalm of the hour is also added. The troparia contain the Lord’s answer to the Baptist to his bewilderment about Christ’s self-abasement and indicate the fulfillment of the Psalmist’s prophecy that the Jordan River stops its waters when the Lord enters it for Baptism. The parimia talks about how the prophet Isaiah contemplates the grace of salvation in the waters of baptism and calls on believers to assimilate it: “Draw up water with joy from the source of fear” (Is. 12).
The Apostle encourages those baptized into Christ Jesus to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-12). The Gospel preaches about the appearance of the Holy Trinity at the Baptism of the Savior, about His forty-day labor in the desert and the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel (Mark 1:9-15). At the 9th hour, in Psalms 92 and 113, the prophet proclaims the royal greatness and omnipotence of the baptized Lord. The third psalm of the hour is the usual 85th. With the words of parimia, the prophet Isaiah depicts the inexpressible mercy of God towards people and the gracious help for them revealed in Baptism (Is. 49: 8-15). The Apostle announces the manifestation of the grace of God, “saving for all men,” and the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers (Tit. 2, 11-14; 3, 4-7). The Gospel tells about the Baptism of the Savior and the Epiphany (Matthew 3:13-17).
Vespers on the day of the Vespers of the holiday
Vespers on the Vespers of the Feast of the Epiphany is similar to what happens on the Vespers of the Nativity of Christ: entrance with the Gospel, reading of parimia, Apostle, Gospel, etc., but the parimia at Vespers of the Epiphany Vigil is read not on 8, but on 13.
After the first three paremias to the troparion and verses of prophecy, the singers chorus: “May you enlighten those who sit in darkness: Lover of mankind, glory to Thee.” After the 6th parimia - the chorus to the troparion and verses: “Where would Your light shine, only on those who sit in darkness, glory to You.”
If on the Eve of Epiphany Vespers is combined with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), then after the reading of the proverbs there follows a small litany with the exclamation: “For art thou holy, our God...”, then the Trisagion and other sequences of the liturgy are sung. At Vespers, performed separately after the liturgy (on Saturday and Sunday), the parimia, the small litany and the exclamation: “For you are holy...” are followed by the prokeimenon: “The Lord is my enlightenment...”, Apostle (Cor., part 143) and the Gospel (Luke, 9th).
After this - the litany “Rtsem all...” and so on.
Great Blessing of Water
The Church renews the memory of the Jordan event with a special rite of the great consecration of water. On the Eve of the holiday, the great consecration of water occurs after the prayer behind the pulpit (if the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is being celebrated). And if Vespers is celebrated separately, without connection with the liturgy, the consecration of the water occurs at the end of Vespers, after the exclamation: “Be the power...”. The priest, through the royal doors, while singing the troparia “The Voice of the Lord on the Waters...” comes out to the vessels filled with water, carrying the Honorable Cross on his head, and the consecration of the water begins.
The blessing of water also takes place on the holiday itself after the liturgy (also after the prayer behind the pulpit).
The Orthodox Church has been performing the great consecration of water on Vespers and on the holiday itself since ancient times, and the grace of consecrating water on these two days is always the same. At the Forever, the consecration of water was performed in remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, which sanctified the watery nature, as well as the baptism of the orphans, which in ancient times was performed at the Forever of Epiphany (Lent. Apost., book 5, chapter 13; historians: Theodoret, Nicephorus Callistus). On the holiday itself, the consecration of water occurs in memory of the actual event of the Baptism of the Savior. The blessing of water on the holiday itself began in the Jerusalem Church in the 4th - 5th centuries. took place only in it alone, where there was a custom of going out to the Jordan River for the blessing of water in memory of the Baptism of the Savior. Therefore, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the blessing of water on Vecherie is performed in churches, and on the holiday itself it is usually performed on rivers, springs and wells (the so-called “Walk to the Jordan”), for Christ was baptized outside the temple.
The great consecration of water began in the early times of Christianity, following the example of the Lord Himself, who sanctified the waters by His immersion in them and established the sacrament of Baptism, in which the consecration of water has been taking place since ancient times. The rite of blessing of water is attributed to the Evangelist Matthew. Several prayers for this rite were written by St. Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople. The final execution of the rite is attributed to St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. The blessing of water on the holiday is already mentioned by the teacher of the Church Tertullian and St. Cyprian of Carthage. The Apostolic Decrees also contain prayers said during the blessing of water. So, in the book. The 8th says: “The priest will call on the Lord and say: “And now sanctify this water, and give it grace and strength.”
St. Basil the Great writes: “According to what scripture do we bless the water of baptism? - From Apostolic tradition, by succession in secret" (91st canon).
In the second half of the 10th century, Patriarch of Antioch Peter Foulon introduced the custom of consecrating water not at midnight, but on the Eve of Epiphany. In the Russian Church, the Moscow Council of 1667 decided to perform double blessing of water - on Vespers and on the very feast of Epiphany and condemned Patriarch Nikon, who prohibited double blessing of water. The sequence of the great consecration of water both at Vespers and on the holiday itself is the same and in some parts is similar to the sequence of the small consecration of water. It consists of remembering the prophecies relating to the event of Baptism (parimia), the event itself (the Apostle and the Gospel) and its meaning (litany and prayers), invoking the blessing of God on the waters and immersing the Life-giving Cross of the Lord in them three times.
In practice, the rite of water blessing is performed as follows. After the prayer behind the pulpit (at the end of the liturgy) or the petitionary litany: “Let us perform the evening prayer” (at the end of Vespers), the rector is in full vestments (as during the liturgy), and the other priests are only in the epitrachelion, shoulder straps, and the rector is carrying the Holy Cross on an uncovered chapter (usually the Cross is placed in the air). At the site of the blessing of water, the Cross is placed on a decorated table, on which there should be a bowl of water and three candles. During the singing of troparions, the rector and the deacon cense the water prepared for consecration (around the table three times), and if the water is consecrated in the church, then the altar, clergy, singers and people also cense.
At the end of the singing of the troparions, the deacon proclaims: “Wisdom,” and three parimia are read (from the book of the prophet Isaiah), which depict the blessed fruits of the Lord’s coming to earth and the spiritual joy of all who turn to the Lord and partake of life-giving springs salvation. Then the prokeimenon “The Lord is my enlightenment...” is sung, the Apostle and the Gospel are read. The Apostolic Reading (Cor., section 143) speaks of persons and events that Old Testament, during the wanderings of the Jews in the desert, were a prototype of Christ the Savior (the mysterious baptism of the Jews into Moses among the clouds and the sea, their spiritual food in the desert and drinking from the spiritual stone, which was Christ). The Gospel (Mark, part 2) tells about the Baptism of the Lord.
After reading Holy Scripture the deacon pronounces the great litany with special petitions. They contain prayers for the sanctification of water by the power and action of the Holy Trinity, for sending down the blessing of the Jordan on the water and giving it grace for the healing of mental and physical infirmities, for driving away all slander of visible and invisible enemies, for the sanctification of houses and for all benefits.
During the litany, the rector secretly reads a prayer for the purification and sanctification of himself: “Lord Jesus Christ...” (without exclamation). At the end of the litany, the priest (rector) loudly reads the consecration prayer: “Great art thou, O Lord, and wonderful are thy works...” (three times) and so on. In this prayer, the Church begs the Lord to come and sanctify the water so that it will receive the grace of deliverance, the blessing of the Jordan, so that it will be a source of incorruption, the resolution of ailments, the cleansing of souls and bodies, the sanctification of houses and “for all good.” In the middle of the prayer, the priest exclaims three times: “You Yourself, O Lover of Mankind, come now by the influx of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water,” and at the same time each time he blesses the water with his hand, but does not immerse his fingers in the water, as happens in the sacrament of Baptism. At the end of the prayer, the abbot immediately blesses the water crosswise with the Honorable Cross, holding it with both hands and immersing it three times straight (lowering it into the water and raising it), and with each immersion of the Cross he sings the troparion with the clergy (three times): “I am baptized in the Jordan, O Lord...”
After this, while the troparion is repeatedly sung by the singers, the abbot with the Cross in his left hand sprinkles a cross in all directions, and also sprinkles the temple with holy water.
Glorification of the holiday
On Vecherye, after the dismissal of Vespers or Liturgy, a lamp (not a lectern with an icon) is placed in the middle of the church, before which the clergy and choristers sing the troparion and (on “Glory, and now”) the kontakion of the holiday. The candle here means the light of Christ’s teaching, Divine enlightenment given in the Epiphany.
After this, the worshipers venerate the Cross, and the priest sprinkles each with holy water.
On Epiphany Christmas Eve the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great and the rite of the great consecration of water.
On the very day of the feast of Epiphany, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
After the prayer behind the pulpit, the great consecration of water was performed.
The consecration of water took place throughout the entire day of Christmas Eve and the feast of the Epiphany itself, and also, according to tradition, will be performed as necessary until the day of the feast of Epiphany.
Feast of the Epiphany
An incomprehensible mystery now reveals to the mind enlightened by the light of Truth the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Incarnate God - the Lord Jesus Christ, descends into the waters of the Jordan, sanctifying and restoring the watery nature once corrupted by human sin, imparting to it the Power and grace of the Holy Spirit, perceiving which in the baptismal font every Christian becomes a participant in incorruptible eternity in the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father.
The Feast of the Epiphany, or Epiphany, is also called the Day of Enlightenment and the Feast of Lights - from ancient custom perform the baptism of the catechumens on the eve of it (on Vespers), which is, in essence, spiritual enlightenment.
A description of the event of Baptism is given in all four Evangelists (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23; John 1:33-34), as well as in many stichera and troparia of the holiday. “Today the Creator of Heaven and earth comes in flesh to the Jordan, asking for Baptism, the sinless one... and is baptized by a servant, the Lord of all...” “To the voice of him crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord (i.e. to John), you have come, O Lord, taking on the form of a servant, asking for Baptism, not knowing sin.” The baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ is in the closest connection with all His Theanthropic work of saving people; it constitutes the decisive and complete beginning of this ministry.
When John the Baptist preached on the banks of the Jordan and baptized people, Jesus Christ turned thirty years old. He also came from Nazareth to the Jordan River to John to receive baptism from him. John considered himself unworthy to baptize Jesus Christ and began to restrain Him, saying: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered him: “Leave me now,” that is, do not hold me back now, “because this is how we need to fulfill all righteousness” - to fulfill everything in the Law of God and set an example for people. Then John obeyed and baptized Jesus Christ. After baptism was performed, when Jesus Christ came out of the water, the heavens suddenly opened up (opened) above Him; and John saw the Spirit of God, who in the form of a dove descended on Jesus, and from heaven the voice of God the Father was heard: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The Baptism of the Lord in the matter of redemption of the human race had a deep ontological significance. Baptism on the Jordan exudes to mortals remission, remission of sins, enlightenment, restoration of human nature, light, renewal, healing and, as it were, a new birth. “New creators of the earth, New Adam was the Creator, performing a strange rebirth and wonderful renewal with fire and Spirit and water...” The baptism of Christ in the waters of the Jordan had not only the meaning of a symbol of purification, but also a transforming, renewing effect on human nature. By immersing Himself in the waters of the Jordan, the Lord sanctified “the whole nature of the waters” and the whole earth. The presence of Divine power in the watery nature transforms our corruptible nature (through Baptism) into incorruptible. Baptism had a beneficial effect on the entire dual human nature - on the body and soul of man. The Baptism of Christ the Savior was actually a prefiguration and foundation of the mysteriously grace-filled method of rebirth by water and the Spirit in the sacrament of Baptism given after His Resurrection and Ascension. Here the Lord reveals Himself as the Founder of a new, grace-filled Kingdom, which, according to His teaching, cannot be entered without Baptism.
The three-fold immersion in the sacrament of Baptism depicts the death of Christ, and the coming out of the water represents communion with His three-day Resurrection.
At the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan, true worship of God (religion) was revealed to people, the hitherto unknown secret of the Trinity of the Divine, the secret of the One God in three Persons was revealed, worship was revealed Holy Trinity. The chants comprehensively and touchingly describe the experiences that the Forerunner experiences upon seeing Christ come to be baptized by him. John the Baptist points to the people listening to him about the coming Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, awaited by all Israel: “This, deliver Israel, free us from corruption.” And when the Lord asked him for baptism, “the Forerunner trembled and exclaimed loudly: how can a lamp illuminate the light? How can a slave lay his hand on the Master? Savior, who took upon yourself the sins of the whole world, You yourself sanctify me and the waters.” “Although You are the Child of Mary,” says the Forerunner, “I know You, the Eternal God.” And then the Lord says to John:
“Prophet, come to baptize Me, who created you, and enlightens with grace and cleanses everyone. Touch My Divine top (head) and do not doubt. Leave everything else now, for I have come to fulfill all righteousness.”
Having been baptized by John, Christ fulfilled “righteousness”, i.e. fidelity and obedience to the commandments of God. Saint John the Baptist received the command from God to baptize the people as a sign of the cleansing of sins. As a man, Christ had to "fulfill" this commandment and therefore be baptized by John. By this He confirmed the holiness and greatness of John’s actions, and gave Christians an example of obedience to the will of God and humility for eternity.
Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian celebrations, celebrated already in the 3rd century. At first, in different local Churches, memories of various events associated with the birth of the Savior, His coming into the world, baptism in the Jordan by John and the first miracle at a marriage in Cana of Galilee were associated with this holiday. In the liturgical calendar Armenian Church This practice continues to this day, and in the Latin liturgical tradition, on the day of Epiphany, the veneration of the Magi to the Infant Christ is commemorated, and the baptism of the Savior in the Jordan is commemorated on the nearest Sunday after January 6. The Feast of the Epiphany, as a memory of the baptism of the Savior in the Jordan, acquired significance after the Feast of the Nativity of Christ was established on December 25, on the day of the December calendar. Christmas was first celebrated in Rome (no later than 354), under Pope Julia, and later in the East. The Apostolic Constitutions, a canonical monument of Syriac origin and dated by researchers to approximately 380, commands the celebration of Christmas (December 25) and “The Day of Appearance, on which the Lord showed us His Divinity” (January 6). In Constantinople, the holiday of Christmas was introduced by St. Gregory the Theologian in 379 during his short reign of the capital's department. Thus, the feast of the Epiphany, as a memory of the baptism of Christ and the appearance of the Holy Trinity, which is associated with the emergence of the custom of consecrating water on this day, was established no earlier than the end of the 4th century.
In Jerusalem, the separation of the holidays of Christmas and Epiphany occurred somewhat later. Fragmentary information about the liturgical rite of the Epiphany consecration of water in the Jerusalem Church is given to us by the “Canon of Jerusalem” (VII century), which has come down to our time in a Georgian translation. According to legend, the current liturgical rite of the Great Blessing of Water was compiled by St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (c. 560-638).
The great consecration of water according to church charter is performed twice - on the day of Vespers ( Epiphany Christmas Eve) and on the day of the holiday itself is performed in conjunction with the Divine Liturgy. Contrary to popular misconception, there is no difference in the “graceful power” between the water blessed on one day or another. Firstly, water is blessed according to the same liturgical rite. Secondly, initially the consecration of water took place precisely on the eve of the holiday, as evidenced by St. John Chrysostom, as well as the Typikon. The double consecration of water became a practice of the Orthodox Church after the 12th century. However, it is interesting to note that the very tradition of consecrating water for purposes not related to the Sacrament of Baptism arose in ancient times, at the dawn of the history of the Church, long before the formation of rites. For example, Hieromartyr Alexander, Pope of Rome (2nd century), introduced the custom of blessing water so that believers would sprinkle their homes with it.
