In Pictures: Diving Into Freezing Cold Waters to Mark ‘Epiphany’

Across Russia, Ukraine and Montenegro, Orthodox believers plunged themselves into freezing waters to observe Epiphany

A Russian Orthodox believer bathes in the icy water on Epiphany in the Neva River in St Petersburg, Russia. (Photo: AP)

Thousands of people have taken a dip in icy waters across the world to celebrate Epiphany, a major holiday in Orthodox Christianity marking the baptism of Jesus.

Water blessed by a priest on the Epiphany week in the Orthodox tradition is considered holy and pure, and bathing is believed to have healing powers.

In Moscow, authorities set up 60 official bathing sites for believers for Monday night, from open air pools to ponds.

For some Russians this holiday season, Epiphany bathing was a more relaxed experience.

Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church followers plunged into icy rivers and ponds across the country to mark Epiphany, cleansing themselves with water deemed holy for the day. (Photo: AP)

An Orthodox believer plunges in icy waters during celebrations of the Epiphany in Kiev, Ukraine. (Photo: AP)

An Orthodox believer plunges in icy waters of the Dnipro River during celebrations of the Epiphany in Kiev, Ukraine. (Photo: AP)

A Christian Orthodox man comes out of water after he was baptized during the traditional Epiphany baptism ceremony at the Qasr-el Yahud baptism site in the Jordan river near the West Bank town of Jericho. The site is traditionally believed by many to be the place where Jesus was baptized. (Photo: AP)

Anderson Combs retrieves the cross from the bayou during the St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral’s 110th annual Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs. (Photo: AP)

Christian Orthodox believers swim for a cross in cold waters of River Ribnica, in Podgorica, Montenegro, marking Orthodox Epiphany. (Photo: AP)

A Russian Orthodox believer bathes in icy waters of a pond on Epiphany in Krasnoye Selo outside St Petersburg, Russia. The temperature in Krasnoye Selo is minus 16 degrees celsius. Water that is blessed by a cleric on Epiphany is considered holy and pure until next year’s celebration, and is believed to have special powers of protection and healing. (Photo: AP)

A rescue worker controls Russian Orthodox believers swimming in the icy water on Epiphany at a pond in Krasnoye Selo outside St Petersburg, Russia. (Photo: AP)

Rescue workers watch over as a Russian Orthodox believer dips his daughter in icy waters of a pond on Epiphany in Pushkin outside St Petersburg in Russia. (Photo: AP)