Ukrainian soldiers take a dip into ice-cold water, while Ethiopians go for a swim
Every year on Jan. 19, Orthodox Christians and Greek Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, or Epiphany. NV has collected pictures of the celebration from around the world, from Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia, to religious ceremonies in Ukraine.
This religious holiday is the third and final celebration of the Christmas and New Year cycle. In Ukraine, Epiphany has its own customs and traditions.
A characteristic feature of the celebration is to take a dip in a river after receiving a blessing from a priest – which at this time of the year means taking a dip in some ice-cold water.
The practice is frowned on by some churches in Ukraine, however, with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in particular criticizing it on Facebook as missing the point of the blessing.
Despite that, hundreds of Ukrainians still take to the mostly frozen rivers and take an icy dip to celebrate the end of the holiday season.
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