Orthodox Christians around world celebrate Epiphany VIDEO

   

Holy Land's Miracle: Patriarch of Jerusalem Metropolitan Theophilos prays with white doves during the Epiphany ceremony

   

Epiphany: Orthodox Christians celebrate the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan river VIDEO

January 19. epiphany in Russia - See Russian Orthodox Christians plunge into icy waters for epiphany 2015 VIDEO

  

Israel expecting thousands of pilgrims for Epiphany celebration

       

Patriarch Kirill to lead service in Moscow cathedral on Epiphany Eve

    

GREECE: Epiphany Cross 2015 - Several courageous Greeks braved the freezing temperatures to participate in Epiphany Day celebrations VIDEO

   

Epiphany 2015: History and Interesting Facts About 'Three Kings Day' AKA End of Christmas

    

18-year-old recovers Epiphany Cross! PHOTO

  

Jordan welcomes throngs of tourists at site where believers say Jesus was baptized

Russians take the Epiphany plunge as temperatures drop to -45C in Far East PHOTO

   

Almost 94,000 people across Russia bathed in the ice-cold rivers and ponds over the night of January 18-19, braving the freezing winter temperatures to celebrate the Orthodox Christian holiday of Epiphany, the baptism of Jesus.

Epiphany Celebration in Hong Kong - VIDEO

 

The Orthodox community of Hong Kong celebrated Epiphany, an important religious celebration for all Greeks and Orthodox Christians.

Race for the cross is on - Celebration of Holy Epiphany in Australian Cities

 

Epiphany, in Greek “Theophania” or “Fota,” is one of the most important days for the Orthodox world and it is celebrated in January 6.

Family legacy lives on at Epiphany dive

Tarpon Springs, Florida -- The legacy of a Bay area grandfather who spent 40 years handcrafting the white cross that's used in the Epiphany celebration lives on. Now, his grandsons are proudly carrying on his family's legacy.

Crete, GREECE: Celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany underwater PHOTO

Greek boys prepare for 2014 Epiphany

 

 On Jan. 6, dozens of teenage boys aged 16 to 18 will dive into the frigid waters of the Spring Bayou for the 108th Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs, one of the largest in the western hemisphere.

RUSSIA: More Than 82,000 Bathe in Icy Water on Epiphany in Moscow (PHOTO STORY)

 

MOSCOW, January 19  - More than 82,000 Moscow residents bathed in icy cold water to mark the Epiphany early Saturday, as air temperature in the Russian capital stood at minus 13 degrees Celsius (+ 8.6 Fahrenheit), a spokesman for the Emergency Ministry's Moscow branch said Saturday.

Epiphany, also known as Theophany, is one of the Great Feasts, marking the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and the beginning of his ministry. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the holiday on January 19, in line with the Julian calendar.

 

Honoring an old Russian tradition, cross-shaped holes are cut in ice over lakes and rivers and celebrators plunge into the water - typically three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity - around midnight, often after an attending priest says a prayer.

Police said on Saturday they dispatched about 3,500 officers to maintain order overnight. No major incidents were reported.

 

More than 50 Epiphany bathing sites were set up across Moscow, where waters were blessed by Orthodox priests during the night, with 260 rescuers monitoring the safety of swimming.

 

The feast's peculiar feature is the rite of the Great Blessing of Water, performed in Russian churches twice - on January 18, on the eve of the feast, and on Epiphany proper, after Divine Liturgy.

 

Holy water is then given to believers, who store it for long periods and use it to cure illnesses and bless themselves or things and premises around them. Some people think any water - even from the taps on the kitchen sink - poured or bottled on Epiphany becomes holy.