Tiraspol, January, 15. / Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Pridnestrovie prepares for Epiphany day ablutions (ritual dripping in the river). They will take place all over republic this Saturday in traditional places. In Tiraspol, it is the City Beach where will establish a font with two baskets. There will be four heated tents.
By the way, on a holiday, January 19, take-out trade in alcoholic drinks near the Central Square and the City Beach will be forbidden.
In Bendery after the divine service a procession will be performed, culminating in the blessing of the water on the City Beach (the coast from Parkany side). Here the font and all necessary for dipping will be placed. It is possible that a temporary stop of trolleybuses around descent to the beach will be organized.
In Grigoriopol it will be possible to dip into the Dniester near the Kremushki City Beach. The prior of the City Church "Vozneseniye Gospodne" Archpriest Nikolay Dzygovsky will consecrate water.
The Dubossary font will be organized on the water area in the top pound of the local hydroelectric power station. Since the night on January 18, duty will be taken up by the staff of rescue division and emergency doctors.
In Rybnitsa the dipping will be held on the lake of the village Shmalena. The ladder for descent in water, tents locker rooms, heating of places for changing – everything will be ready in advance.
In Kamenka specially equipped place for dipping will be opened on the City Beach. Also, Epiphany day dipping will take place in the villages Rashkovo and Hrustovaya where there are equipped fonts.
In Slobodzey places for dipping will be organized both in the Russian and Moldavian parts of the city. In addition, fonts will be in Chobruchy, Glynoe, Nezavertaylovka, Sukley, i.e. practically in all the villages.
In the majority of the cities and districts, the dipping will begin at night though officially they start at about noon after priests consecrate water. This day near each font there will be a kitchen wagon with hot tea and fragrant pastries.
Militiamen, physicians and rescuers are responsible for safety. By the way, the rescuers reminded that the Dniester is the artful river with a strong flow and an uneven bottom, and therefore it is allowed to dip into the water only in the equipped fonts. Their divers check and clean a bottom to exclude any states of emergency.
"You should not also take alcoholic drinks before dipping. In such condition people freezes quicker, and also the risk of a rupture of blood vessels at hit in ice water is high. It is necessary to come into water gradually, slowly, but also not too slowly, not to dive and not to jump. Before dipping best of all is to be warmed: to sit-up for several minutes, jump or jog to disperse blood. Children without the supervision of parents and adults are forbidden to enter a font", – the deputy head of Department of Civil Protection - the head of Tiraspol Department of Civil Defense Affairs and Emergency Situationsфй Victor Vodzinsky commented to our Agency.
You should stay in water no more than 10 seconds to avoid overcooling and cold. Doctors note that Epiphany day dipping is some kind of shock therapy, and those who want to participate have to estimate the opportunities of their body correctly.
So, people who have serious skin and chronic inflammatory diseases cannot dip, also like ones with otitis, arthritis, heart and central nervous system troubles… Actually, there is a lot of medical contraindications to Epiphany day dipping so best of all is to consult with the doctor before commissioning of a ceremony.
Epiphany day dipping is the national tradition connected with dipping or bathing for this orthodox holiday in an ice-hole or in open reservoirs. People consider that dipping into an ice-hole have mental and body purification force, but this tradition cannot be called church.
As priests tell, for Orthodox Christians the main thing this day is visiting of divine service, a confession, a communion, acceptance of the Epiphany water. And dipping in the special ice-holes called iordanyam is voluntary, not obligatory. And it does not absolve from sins as sins are absolved by the priest during the Sacrament of Penance.
