The Feast of the Epiphany celebrated by the Orthodox Church on January 19 is one of the greatest Christian celebrations. Many people know that on this day you can collect holy water, which, thanks to the rank of great sanctification completed above it, acquires healing properties.
The feast of the Baptism of the Lord is covered with many popular superstitions and myths that have nothing to do with church consciousness. Especially many such superstitions relate to holy water, consecrated on holidays in Orthodox churches. One of such popular opinions is the conviction that holy water for Baptism must be drawn at 12 a.m. on the calendar day of January 19th. At the same time, many argue that water can be drawn absolutely at any source or even in a tap.
Such a representation does not correspond to the Orthodox worldview, because if we talk about that great hagiasma (water that is blessed on the feast of the Epiphany), then you should only collect it after performing it in the church or at the source of the rite of great blessing of the water. Thus, when answering the question of when to draw water for Baptism, it is necessary to say: a great shrine is gathered after its consecration.
Orthodox liturgical practice prescribes the great blessing of water twice a year. For the first time, Epiphany water is blessed on the eve of the holiday (that is, the 18th of the first New Year's month). On the Epiphany Eve in Orthodox churches, a festive service is served, at the end of which the water is blessed. Therefore, given the fact that the Divine Liturgy begins at 8 or 9 in the morning, water can be drawn after 10 or 11 hours.
The second time, water is sanctified on the very day of the Epiphany (January 19th). The rite of great blessing takes place after the liturgy. Often, the feast of the Epiphany is marked by a solemn night service, beginning at 23:00 on January 18th. The festive service, along with the subsequent blessing of water, comes to an end at about 3 a.m. Thus, holy water at Baptism can be filled at night in the temple after consecration.
Sometimes the festive liturgy for Epiphany begins in the morning (at 8 or 9 hours). After 11 or 12 hours, respectively, water will be consecrated in the Orthodox church.
There is a practice when the clergy goes to sources and springs shortly before midnight before the holiday of Epiphany. At the sources, water is blessed, which in itself takes no more than an hour. If there is reliable information that the priest will bless the water at some spring, then you can dial the shrine and at a natural source.
The main thing to remember: holy water for Baptism is collected only after it is consecrated by a priest (and not "grandmother") in a church or at sources.
