The practice of bathing in the consecrated ice hole on the feast of the Epiphany is very common in modern Russia. Many people try to follow this tradition, coming to open water bodies every year with the aim of dipping into holy water.
First of all, it is worth noting that those who want to plunge into the consecrated baptismal ice hole (in holy water) should not resort to this practice immediately after 12 a.m. on January 19, but only after the blessing of water in the font. Otherwise, a person "dives" into ordinary water. The rite of consecration of sources is carried out at different times. It is possible that some clergymen (especially in large cities), due to the large number of clergy, consecrate fonts ("Jordan") at about midnight. However, these cases are not so common in modern practice.
Most often, fonts are blessed after a festive night service in the morning. In some churches, the liturgy on the feast of the Epiphany is not performed on the night of January 19, but on the morning of that day. In such cases, night consecration before the liturgy can take place at the springs. Thus, depending on the time of consecration of the font and you need to count the correct time for immersion in Jordan.
It is worth noting that it is customary to bathe in consecrated springs during the astronomical day of January 19 (on the very day of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ). With the onset of January 20 (starting at 12 o’clock in the morning) bathing in the fonts stops. It is now quite difficult to meet people who plunge into the hole after the 19th day of the second winter month.
