Back on Sakhalin Island, we
readjusted to the cold (-26C the day we came back) and met new friends who moved
into the Olympia Complex while we were gone.
Our first week back passed quickly, and this past weekend was absolutely
gorgeous weather of only -2C!! This is
where the holy water comes in!!
My Russian teacher, Elena,
organized a fieldtrip for us to witness a longstanding Russian tradition. Every 19th of January, the Russian
Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany, the day that they believe John the Baptist
baptized Jesus. This special day is
celebrated all across Russia and countries in the former Soviet Union. The way that they celebrate is by cutting a
hole in the ice in the shape of a cross, which is then named the Jordan (aka Jordan River). This year the ice was too thick, so they
settled for a rectangular hole instead.
Then the Orthodox priests bless the water by submerging large golden
crosses. Thousands of people bring
bottles and jars to collect the holy water, which they believe has healing
power. They will store the water they
collect to last for the entire year to be used for treating illnesses and
washing sick children.
The next part is where it gets
very interesting. Not only do people
collect the holy water, but people submerge themselves in the holy water. Regardless of the temperature outside, people
either jump in or climb down ladders to enter the water, submerge themselves
three times (symbolic for the Trinity), and then exit the river. The ritual has multiple meanings: some say
that it is an act of repentance in which one’s past sins and/or future sins are
washed away (as seemed to be the case for one young man who submerged himself
14 times!!), while others say it is a reminder of Jesus’ baptism. The people are adamant that on this day,
should you jump in the water, there is no risk of becoming sick because the
water has been blessed.
 |
| Caught At The Precise Moment Before The Plunge - BRRRR! |
I was cold just watching people
enter the water. Red, on the other hand,
decided that he wanted to participate in this tradition and experience it
first-hand. (Don’t worry, I was not
swayed.) First however, we spent the entire afternoon
exploring the city with our new friends, Emmie and Matt.
 |
| Lenin Square Ice Sculptures - 2013 is the Year of the Snake |
 |
| You Can Slide Faster Than Expected When Sliding On Ice! |
 |
| Tejas Jean Store to Remind Us of Home :) |
That evening, we headed to
meet one of Red’s coworkers, Anton, for the exceptionally cold baptism. We walked through a beautiful snow covered
forest just long enough for the guys to realize that the sun was going down and
it was getting colder.
*It is important
to note that Emmie and I were quite warm in our long winter coats and snow
boots during this. We captured the
precious memories on video and pictures a safe distance from the river.
 |
| Toasty Warm on the Cross Country Ski Trails |
The guys changed into swim trunks
and one by one entered the water. As you
can see by Red’s face, the water was quite chilly.
 |
| Check Out Red's Face |
 |
| One... |
 |
| Two... |
 |
| Three!!! |
 |
| The Smile of Victory (And I suspect relief that it was over!) |
All three of them successfully completed the
baptism and have joined the ranks of only 3 previous expat Olympia residents to
participate in this tradition. It’s now official,
Red is becoming Russian!
 |
| Three Happy Men - Three Very Cold Men...Crazy Boys! |
 |
| Post Baptism Dinner - Caucasus Mountain BBQ |
Thanks for checking out the blog. We love your comments and emails!
Until next time,
Carrie
No comments:
Post a Comment