About Epiphany water. When to collect and how to store Epiphany water

January 19, 2019 at Orthodox churches The Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated annually - one of the main Christian holidays. For for many years traditions have developed that are observed to this day.

This holiday, which is also called Epiphany, is established in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ, which was performed by John the Baptist. During his baptism on the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven proclaimed: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

"Baptism" in literally means “immersion in water”, it is no coincidence that one of the traditions of this holiday is the blessing of water. This ritual is performed twice - on Epiphany Eve and on Epiphany. They also sanctify water in natural reservoirs by cutting out ice holes in the shape of a cross or a circle in rivers and lakes. Such an ice hole is called Jordan.

Many believers are interested in: how to type correctly Epiphany water, how to use it correctly? We will answer these and other questions.

How to properly collect Epiphany water?

After the church service, it can be collected in churches. To prevent water from losing its properties, the containers for collecting it must be clean. Cans or bottles containing residues of other drinks should not be used for this purpose.

There is no difference between water collected on Epiphany Eve on January 18, 2019 or on the holiday itself. You can go for water later, because according to established tradition, Epiphany is celebrated during the week. That is, during all seven days, believers can come to churches for holy water.

There is no need to collect such water in large quantities. As the priests say, any drinking water, to which you add a little holy water will also become consecrated. That is, you can take, for example, a liter of such water and pour it into larger containers at home.

How to use Epiphany water correctly?

The water consecrated in churches has a special symbolic meaning: it is used to wash people in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with its help they cleanse people from sins and relieve them of various ailments.

According to tradition, on the morning of Epiphany, people drink blessed water. In the old days, after this, the girls hurried to the river to wash themselves in “Jordanian water”, “so that their faces would be beautiful and pink.”

Blessed water is kept at home next to icons. Since it does not spoil, it can be stored for a long time. She is considered the best medicine from various mental and physical ailments. Epiphany water strengthens the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems and has a general strengthening effect on the body.

Use it according to church rules, better on an empty stomach, with prosphora - in this case it is enough to take a couple of sips. If you need to drink medicine, then take a couple of sips of water, and then the treatment procedures are carried out.

People suffering from serious illnesses can drink holy water in any quantity throughout the day. After drinking holy water, you must definitely pray for healing and remission of sins. The stronger your faith, the more likely you are to be healed.

Where can I get holy water if I didn’t go to church for Epiphany?

There are times when people do not have the opportunity to visit the temple these days. However, the supply of water can be replenished in the temple, where it is always stored, and at other times. That is, on any day of the year, not necessarily on Epiphany, you can take it from the church.

You can also pour water from other sources at Epiphany and use it. It is believed that at this time all water becomes holy. As the priests say, the point is not in the water, but “in the human heart - how capable it is of accepting the shrine that God freely gives to everyone.”

If you want to get Epiphany water from the tap, it is better to do this from midnight to 1:30 on the night of January 18-19, 2019.

What should you do with Epiphany water?

Holy water is sprinkled on homes to drive out evil spirits from the house. To do this, sprinkle all the rooms, the yard and outbuildings. It is necessary to sprinkle each corner with a cross of water, as well as entrance doors and windows to protect the house from evil spirits.

At the same time, the following prayer is read:

“Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities, according to Your boundless mercy through Your prayers Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen".

When telling how to correctly collect holy water for Epiphany, one cannot fail to mention snow, which is also credited with special properties on this day. In the old days, it was collected from the haystacks of girls, as it was believed that it whitens the skin and helps preserve beauty.

Snow collected on Epiphany evening was used to bleach canvases. It, like water, was considered healing, and various ailments were treated with it.

On this day, our ancestors observed many other traditions. On Epiphany Eve they put a bowl of water on the table and said: “At night the water itself will sway,” which was a sign of Epiphany. If at midnight the water in the bowl swayed, people went outside to look at the sky, to pray and make a cherished wish, which, as it was believed, would certainly come true.

As a rule, these days there are severe – “Epiphany” – frosts. Despite this, many believers swim in ice holes. It is believed that this ritual promotes healing from illnesses. Many people also believe that in this way they can wash away their sins, but the Church teaches that they can only be washed away by repentance through the sacrament of confession.

Therefore, our story about how to properly use water blessed for Epiphany will be incomplete without mentioning other traditions of Baptism.

Try to pay more attention to your loved ones during this time, help the poor and do other good deeds. At Epiphany, under no circumstances should you quarrel with relatives and other people, swear or use foul language. You cannot allow yourself even evil thoughts, and not just bad deeds.

When to collect Epiphany water? Is Epiphany water different from Epiphany water? How to store it?

The rite of the Great Blessing of Water (Great Agiasma) is performed on Epiphany Eve (January 18) after Divine Liturgy and January 19 - the very day of the Epiphany. During both days, you can collect Epiphany water in any church. Both times the water is blessed with ONE rite, so there is no difference in when to collect water - on Christmas Eve or on the Feast of Epiphany itself, there is no difference between Epiphany and Epiphany water.

Every year on January 19, many people rush to the church to get blessed water, and thousands of those suffering to find health rush to swim in the ice hole, despite the Epiphany frosts.

Even in the distant past, people noticed that on the day of Epiphany the water becomes saturated healing properties. For example, when swimming in it it was impossible to catch a cold; it protected a person from damage, the evil eye and disease. It is interesting that the location of the source on January 19 does not play any role, nor does it matter whether church ministers performed a ritual on it.

The shelf life of Epiphany water is quite long. It does not undergo decay processes, and therefore can stand for years. Orthodox hieromonk Seraphim Vyritsky always recommended sprinkling food and food set on the table with it. In case of illness, the ascetic blessed the sick person and ordered him to drink one tablespoon of consecrated water every hour. The wisest old man He said that there is no stronger medicine in the world.

WHEN TO TAKE WATER?

You can take water from the temple after the service; you can also bring your own water for consecration, but remember that it should be ordinary clean water, not mineral or carbonated.

If you decide to simply draw water from the tap, then you need to do this in the time period from 00.10. until 01.30. on the night of January 18th to 19th. You can store water later, but this is the best time.

Unfortunately, most of our people have a purely superstitious attitude towards Epiphany water. They take water as medicine and then try to heal with it. Firstly, it is better to collect water not thoughtlessly, but after you take part in a church service. Secondly, it must be poured into a container without any markings. It’s better to put it in a special jug or flask purchased at a church store. And certainly not in a beer bottle!

Epiphany water is believed to have healing properties. You can drink it when you are sick on an empty stomach and wash your face to stay healthy.

True, you need to use holy water with prayer, asking the Almighty for spiritual and physical health. And it is not at all necessary to take it in reserve, in cans. There should be a lot of faith, not water.

HOW TO STORE BAPTISTIC WATER.

Epiphany water should be stored in a cool, dark place. quiet place in a glass container covered with a napkin. In this case, it is advisable to place the dishes close to the icons and away from the TV. Epiphany water can be stored for many years without spoiling at all.

WHEN TO SWIM.

There has long been a tradition to perform at Epiphany swimming in an ice hole.

The “great consecration of water” takes place in all churches. According to church canons, on Epiphany Eve a believer must come to church, hold a service, light a candle, and draw blessed water. But no one demands to plunge into ice water, especially if a person is not ready for this.

Strict rules how to swim at Epiphany, No. But, according to custom, bathing involves immersing your head in water three times. At the same time, the believer is baptized and says “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!” Usually, long shirts are sewn for swimming, in which immersion is performed, similar to baptismal shirts. They are the same for men and women. It is believed that if parishioners wear swimsuits, then the bodies on display are discordant with traditional Christian decency.

Immersion in ice water is very stressful. The adrenal glands react sharply and powerfully to it, releasing into the blood a large dose of potent anti-inflammatory hormones, which are normally released a little at a time. They suppress all inflammatory reactions by simply “suppressing” the immune system, helping to withstand cold, and adapting the body to withstand stress.

If you properly prepare for a dive, a person with average health can easily endure a one-time dive. But if he is even slightly weakened, in three or four days he will have to pay for his courage.

Before diving into an ice hole, you should not drink alcohol - alcohol will only help with rapid hypothermia and put extra strain on the heart. You should not swim for more than one and a half minutes, or dive headlong.

Before diving, you should definitely consult a doctor. People with diabetes, arrhythmia, kidney problems, women with gynecological diseases It’s better to forget about the ice hole. Hypertensive patients may have a stroke.

It is also not recommended to bathe small children without preparation. At the same time, for both children and adults, the time spent in the font should be minimal, a few seconds, otherwise there is a danger of hypothermia. And in order to avoid frostbite, after the bath you must immediately stand on a dry mat, dry yourself with a towel and put on warm clothes, otherwise you risk spending the rest of the week in the hospital.

1. Do not drink alcohol on this day. Drinking alcoholic beverages disrupts the body's natural thermoregulation with all the consequences.
2. Before diving into the ice hole, you need to warm up your body; before swimming, you can go for a run, wearing a minimum of clothing, and do a warm-up.
3. You should approach the ice hole in comfortable, non-slip and easily removable shoes to avoid excessive hypothermia of your feet.
4. Before entering the water, you need to wet your face, arms, legs, chest, stomach and back and only then plunge up to your neck.
5. You should not plunge headlong or dive (to avoid reflex narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain).
6. Contact with low temperatures should be minimal, within 20-30 seconds, no more, in order to prevent serious hypothermia of the body.

After ablution, you need to rub yourself terry towel, put on dry warm clothes and go to a warm room, where you warm up to normal temperature. It is advisable to drink hot tea, preferably made from herbs, berries and fruits.

Many people claim that blessed water, which is recruited to the Great Orthodox holiday Baptism has magical properties: it can heal from many diseases and protect from evil people, troubles and evil spirits. Therefore, every year many people, and not necessarily believers, gather at temples with bottles and other containers to draw water from the font.
Those people who are going to go to church to get water for the first time will probably ask themselves questions: How is Epiphany water used? Does the time of the activity itself come on January 18 or 19?

Blessing of water

The rite of blessing the water takes place at approximately the same time every year. January 18th is coming Epiphany Christmas Eve. All believers fast during the day, then go to church service, then they pray and light candles in the temple.
After the last one ends evening service, the clergy go to the reservoirs that are located near the temple, and the consecration of the water begins. This ceremony is also carried out according to all church rules.

First, holes are cut. Most often, ice is cut in the shape of a cross. In the old days, a carved ice cross was placed next to an ice hole and poured with red juice, for example, tomato or beetroot. Now this tradition is not always observed. After the hole is ready, the priest begins to read a prayer, then dips a silver cross into the water. Then a white dove is released into the sky, which symbolizes the appearance of the Holy Spirit. The water in church fonts is also blessed. After all these rituals, the water is considered sacred and acquires magical properties.

Epiphany water can be collected immediately after consecration, when a person has already served in the church. However, some believers are confident that the most healing water is water collected ten minutes after midnight, that is, already on January 19th. Although church ministers claim that it does not matter when exactly the water was collected. This can be done both on Christmas Eve and on the day of Epiphany, the most important thing is that the person prepares for this, cleanses himself spiritually and does not have any bad thoughts.

Many people believe that water in clean springs, streams and rivers becomes holy on January 19 for nothing, so they collect it there. But the water that flows from the tap does not become holy. However, if you add a little Epiphany holy water to ordinary water, it will also acquire unusual properties.

Use of Holy Epiphany Water

It is worth remembering that the water brought from the church is sacred. This means that it cannot be used in vain for everyday activities. You cannot, for example, do laundry in holy water or wash dirty objects in it.
The person who has just brought holy water from the church should take a little liquid, sprinkle the house with it, and then put the rest of the water in a closed container in a dark place.
Holy water brings many benefits to people. Every morning, after praying, you can drink some water before breakfast. People who are sick should drink holy water. You can apply a compress with holy water to painful areas of the body. The priests also say that a person should wash himself with holy water after someone wishes him harm.

In addition, holy water can be sprinkled on places where conflicts have occurred. In villages, people used to pour holy water on poorly growing trees to make them bear fruit.
Another unusual property of holy water is that it can be stored for a very long time and does not spoil. However, after a year, that is, when Epiphany comes again, it is better to pour it out. You should not send holy water down the drain. It is better to water the flowers in the house or the trees on the property. You can also pour the water into a clean source.

Reading time: 6 min.

On the night of January 18-19, Orthodox Christians all over the world celebrate one of their most revered holidays - the Baptism of the Lord, also called Holy Epiphany. Epiphany water, which is brought into the house on Epiphany Eve and Epiphany, is considered special.

It does not deteriorate for several years, maintaining its structure. This water is used for healing and the home is sprinkled with it. Epiphany water also helps in many other cases.
According to the priests, it is considered Epiphany from January 18 to 19. It just so happened historically that there are two liturgies, after which the water is blessed. One in the evening, the second in the morning. Therefore, it can be collected within two days.
Learn more about the holiday of Epiphany, what you can and cannot do on this day.
When to collect water?
From time immemorial, water collected on the night of January 18-19, from 0 hours 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or a little later, has been considered miraculous. At this time, “the sky opens” and the prayer addressed to God will be heard.
Our grandparents used it for treatment, cleansing, expelling evil spirits and bad thoughts, splashing it in a person’s face or in the corners of the house.
Want to check? It's not difficult. Just try to do everything exactly according to the rules, carefully preserved in people's memory.


After the first star
On Christmas Eve, January 18, you cannot eat anything until the first stars appear in the sky. Drink only clean water, try to spend the whole day quietly and calmly, without getting irritated, without entering into conflicts, bring cleanliness and order to the house. In the evening, after the first star, you can have dinner. Prepare glass containers with lids, such as 3-liter jars or bottles. Sterilize them thoroughly.
After 0 hours 10 minutes, fill this container with water from a well, spring or other pure source. You can just do it from the tap. It is advisable to pass it through a cleaning filter, but this is not prerequisite. Take at least 3 liters and close the jars with lids.
It is better to store Epiphany water in a cool, dark place. And if in the future for some reason you want to pour this water, then under no circumstances pour it into the toilet or sink.
Dilute with plain water and then pour or water the plants (by the way, it has been noted that undiluted Epiphany water has different effects on plants: some bloom, others, on the contrary, die. Therefore, it is better not to take risks and act carefully).
How to use Epiphany water
For those who managed to stock up on the most active Epiphany water, and it doesn’t matter where you got it - from a water supply, from an open source, or brought it from a church - scientists remind you that you need to drink it regularly, preferably every day and on an empty stomach.
It perfectly boosts immunity and makes a person resistant to many infections. Epiphany water is a psychotherapeutic remedy for relieving increased anxiety and irritability, so after a hard, nervous day, drink half a glass of holy water - and you will feel the tension go away, peace and tranquility come. For example, if a child is regularly given this water to drink, he will be less likely to catch a cold.
It is useful not only to drink Epiphany water, but also to wash your face with it in the morning and at night.
It would also be a good idea to give baptismal water to the living creatures and water the plants. Epiphany water is used for washing, irrigation and drinking.
How to take a bath?
This night, pour yourself with Epiphany water three times or take a bath. Between 0:10 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., fill the bathtub cold water from the tap. Cross the water and yourself three times, read the prayer and knock with your fist right hand across the chest three times to cause the body to vibrate in harmony with the vibrations of the water.
Then, without screaming or making noise, sit in the bath and plunge your head three times, hitting your chest each time.
Silently leave the bath (if someone else in your household wants to swim in Epiphany water, fill the bath with new water).
Do not dry yourself immediately; let the water absorb into the skin. At this time, perform self-massage or vigorously tap your fingers all over your body from head to toe. Then put on warm clothes, underwear, socks, everything new and always washed and ironed. Drink herbal tea with honey.
Ablutions and irrigation
Bathing is not a mandatory rule, priests say. This is a blessed thing, but not necessary. After all, people are different, someone can swim in ice water in winter, but some don’t, for some it’s not useful - the state of health is such that it’s beyond their strength. The Church does not require a person to perform feats beyond his strength.
In order to get the most bioactive Epiphany effect without leaving home and without swimming in the cold in an ice hole, you need to wait until half past one in the morning and in the next half hour wash your face, take a shower or bath with tap Epiphany water, and drink a little of this unusual water from the tap.
While swimming, read a prayer or simply say the following words to yourself: “Water takes away all sorrows and sorrows, my heart and soul are pure.”
The results of research using the dowsing method show that this immediately affects the body, increases the size of a person’s biofield tens and hundreds of times, energizes it and has a healing effect.
And it doesn’t matter where you swam, in an ice hole or in a bathtub, the blessed power of Epiphany water is the same. And it depends not on the temperature of the water, not on its quantity and quality, but on the faith of the person.
The most favorable time for water procedures is from 0 to 2 am on January 19th.
At this time, the energy charge of water, even ordinary water from any spring or well, is at its maximum.
Holy water (blessed in church) is applied to sore spots. Moreover, you don’t need to pour it generously - just anoint the sore spot with it in a cross shape. The essence of the procedure is not in the duration of exposure, but in the very contact with the miraculous water.
In the old days, women collected Epiphany snow from stacks - it was believed that washing with melted Epiphany water bestows beauty and prolongs youth. Rinse your face and chest with it. There is no need to dry yourself with a towel - let the water absorb into the skin.
How long to store water?
Epiphany water stored in glass containers can be used throughout the year. It's very strong energy water, so drinking it constantly is not recommended. But to take it as a medicine, if you are unwell, add it to the bath (from one teaspoon to one glass per bath), rinse your mouth, wash your face, spray your face, eyes, whole body - it is very useful.
No need to dry yourself. To cleanse the home, Epiphany water is sprinkled in the corners of the rooms, and then a small part of the water is poured into a glass vessel, without closing the lid, and left in the room.

Every person from childhood is familiar with the phrase “ living water" According to stories, such water can perform real miracles, treat many diseases and save human souls. And many Orthodox people are confident in the authentic existence of just such water, only it needs to be collected at a certain time, and, as a rule, under open air.

Of course, everyone Orthodox people known wonderful properties namely Epiphany water. Associated with Epiphany Feast of the Lord, By Orthodox calendar celebrated on January 19, has long become a symbol of purification and enlightenment for hundreds of thousands of people around the world. According to legends, it is the water that is in the open air on the night of January 18-19 that has incredible healing and cleansing properties. It is believed that water, in order to obtain all its wonderful properties, simply needs to come into contact with nature itself - with clean air, sky and stars - this is the kind of water that can bring health, well-being, and peace of mind.

It is interesting that even scientists recognized the miraculous properties of Epiphany water, but no reasons were found to scientifically explain such miracles. This once again confirms that a correctly performed ritual of collecting such water will have a positive effect on a person’s life.

Properties of Epiphany water

It is believed that water receives its wonderful healing properties with the help of energy generated by the position of the planets at a certain date and time. Surprisingly, such water absolutely never spoils - and even after a long period of time it retains its properties. medicinal properties. Epiphany water seems to “remember” all the information received and retains it for many years.

Among the many types healthy water", which is recommended for use by the most qualified doctors, Epiphany water is the most optimal - its qualities have a positive effect on the work of everyone internal organs human, renew and cleanse the skin. Moreover, precisely because such water does not spoil, it is worth giving preference to it.

In addition to collecting water for consumption, there is another important tradition. In cold areas, where bodies of water freeze in the winter and are covered with a layer of ice, from time immemorial there has been a ritual of bathing in icy Epiphany water. On the night of January 18-19, daredevils ready to plunge into truly cold water, gather around the ice holes and plunge into the water. Surprisingly, such bathing not only does not cause colds and other diseases, but, on the contrary, improves health.

When and where to collect Epiphany water

Most believers visit the temple on the feast of the Epiphany and collect healing water there, but on this holiday this is not at all necessary. On the night of January 18-19, it is enough to place a container of water on open space under the night sky, and overnight the water will acquire all those healing properties that are so necessary. At the same time, you can “charge” absolutely any amount of water in this way - there are no restrictions on this. Already in the morning, the water will acquire its wonderful qualities and will never spoil - just like the water collected in the temple.

Surely, many are wondering when to collect water for Epiphany on January 18 or 19, 2019. Like last year, water must be collected on the night of January 18-19.