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Tuesday
18Apr2006

Twelfth Night Orthodox Celebrations

DateTuesday, April 18, 2006 at 4:05PM

Winter swimming enthusiasts, known in Russia as ‘walruses’, swim in the icy water of the Moskva River / Photo: AP


A bit late to be showing these pics from January, but still worth a look, just to see these Orthodox Christians enjoying a brisk dip in freezing Moscow.

From MOSNEWS: -



Russian Orthodox Christians have a tradition of celebrating the Twelfth-Night (the Eve of the Epiphany) by swimming in ice-holes that symbolize the baptism of Jesus Christ in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. And it does not matter if water in the Israeli river is much warmer than water in Russia rivers. True believers are inspired by their religious enthusiasm.

But this year only the bravest Orthodox Russians got changed into swimming costumes to perform the feat. Temperatures in Moscow dropped to minus-30 Celsius (minus-22 Fahrenheit) overnight and at least 24 people have died of hypothermia across Russia over four days of frigid weather.


AuthorAaron Murin-Heath | CommentPost a Comment |
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