According to folk signs on January 19, on this day you must invite guests to your house and treat them delicious dishes. In order to bless the water, people went to the river, to the spring and always prayed in the temple.
A festive service was held in the church on this day. Epiphany water was distinguished by its miraculous power, so it was used to consecrate not only houses, but also beehives, vegetable gardens, barns and stables with domestic animals. In addition, seriously ill people were given holy water, believing that it healed and filled with strength.
The Baptism of the Lord is one of the most revered and great church holidays. Orthodox Christians commemorated important event when the baby Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan. The heavens opened on this day and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. The voice of God came from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This sign said that Jesus is the true savior of everyone living on earth.
According to folk superstitions on January 19 in Rus', it was believed that blessed water could be stored and used for a long time. She is not susceptible to the evil eye or damage. The weather that day was truly winter and frosty. But after January 19 it became much warmer, because the sun was turning towards spring.
Folk signs for January 19
1. Frost and clear weather indicate a dry summer
2. Anyone who is baptized on January 19 will be a happy and successful person
3. To be happy in marriage, you need to get married or have a wedding on this day.
4. On January 19, there is a lot of water in the ice hole - high water is expected in the spring
5. There are severe frosts - the harvest will be rich
6. Coarse snow has fallen - to a good harvest in summer and autumn
7. According to popular belief, on January 19, a thaw occurred on this day, which means the end of frost and cold weather has come
8. Snowfall and gloomy weather – the summer is expected to be warm and with moderate rains
9. Anyone who was born on this day will be lucky and happy. Jade is his amulet stone
10. During the day, blue clouds in the sky mean a rich harvest
11. If on January 19 the weather is sunny and clear, then the rye will be thick and dark
12. Full month - to a strong spring flood
13. Snowstorm in the morning, which means it will be there until the end of winter
14. If a person prays from the heart on January 19, then the heavens will open to him, and all wishes will come true
15. Dogs bark loudly - hunting this year will be successful
16. You definitely need to dive into an ice hole on January 19 to protect yourself from illness and sorrow for the whole year.
17. The weather is cloudy - wheat will grow well
18. In order for the cattle to reproduce, according to popular belief, on January 19, they were given Epiphany water
19. On this day, the girls wondered about their betrothed. If she meets an old man on her way, then she won’t get married this year, but if she’s a young guy, then she can prepare for an imminent wedding
Epiphany, like any religious holiday, is celebrated not only by believers. Many people on this day just go “for company” to swim in the ice hole, cover festive table and stock up on holy water.
And as usually happens, people bring to every religious holiday folk traditions. Various signs appear that people trust and which they perform just like church rituals. All these traditions take root over time and become inseparable from each other. What signs exist for Epiphany on January 19, what you can do and what you can’t do, let’s look at it.
At Epiphany, you can and should perform all the religious rituals of this holiday: go to church, stand for the service, plunge into the ice hole three times, draw holy water and set the festive table.
In addition, you can pray all day and ask for something good. If a titmouse knocks on the window on Epiphany, then it is also necessary to pray for those who have already passed away.
Every housewife on the eve of Epiphany has the right to draw small crosses with chalk above the windows and doors in the house. It is believed that such a ritual can protect the home from harm.
And at Epiphany you can sprinkle the house with just brought holy water. This can ward off evil spirits.
Epiphany is a holiday that should help people become spiritually enriched, forget all the bad things, wash away their sins and be imbued with strength for the whole year. Every person should remember how important he is to believers and respect their feelings.
Therefore, on January 19, you should under no circumstances think about bad things, much less quarrel and wish harm on someone. In addition, it is believed that if during a conflict a person holds holy water in his hands, then it immediately loses its magical properties.
Also, you should not be greedy on this holiday. We need to share food and, of course, holy water. You can’t take too much of it, you can’t push while standing in line for water, it is believed that this will bring trouble to a person.
In addition, on Epiphany it is forbidden to guess - there was plenty of time to carry out such rituals before, Christmastide lasted from January 6 to 18, so on the evening before the 19th you need to hide all the objects with which they were performed. magical rituals. After Baptism, you can’t guess either.
You cannot get drunk on Epiphany. Since this is a great holiday, you can drink a glass of wine, but you should not abuse alcohol.
Is it possible to do physical labor on Epiphany?
Many housewives are probably wondering whether it is possible to clean on January 19th. No, you can’t, because on religious holidays it is strictly forbidden to work and engage in physical labor.
Is it possible to clean on January 18 before Epiphany - it is possible if the hostess did not have time to prepare the apartment for the holiday, but only in the first half of the day - in the evening you need to pray, go to church and fast.
It is also worth remembering that you can only do laundry until January 18th. And then on Epiphany and for two more days after the holiday, you cannot wash things. Previously, women who wanted to wash clothes in the river where the ice hole was cut had to wait until two weeks had passed after the holiday.
Signs for Epiphany
There are several other interesting Epiphany signs. For example, residents of villages and villages claim that chickens should not be fed on Epiphany. A popular belief says that if you feed poultry on this day, in the summer they will destroy the beds and destroy the seedlings.
Also, people who have a vegetable garden believe in another superstition: if you water a poorly growing tree with holy water, it will begin to bear fruit next fall.
One more good omen- baptize a child on this holiday. It is believed that thanks to this he will be happy and grow up healthy.
People also believe that on Epiphany it is necessary to monitor the weather, because it determines what the whole year will be like: warm or cold, rainy or dry.
To find out what weather will prevail in the summer, you need to leave the house in the morning and look at the sky. If the sky is clear and the frost stings your cheeks, it means the summer will be dry. And if the weather is cloudy, then in the summer there will be a lot of precipitation, which means you can wait in the fall good harvest.
You can also tell whether the harvest will be rich by the number of stars in the sky. If there are a lot of them, it means that this year you will be able to eat plenty of fruits, berries and legumes.
Here is a list of basic things that you can and cannot do at Epiphany. It is believed that if you spend this holiday peacefully, observing all traditions, you can be sure that the whole year will go well.
Epiphany signs are associated with one of the most important religious holidays - the Epiphany, often also called Epiphany. It is celebrated every year at the same time - January 19th.
Beliefs about blessed water
The signs about blessed water at the Baptism of the Lord are associated with the sacrament of the baptismal rite of washing Jesus in the Jordan, when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven on him in the form of a dove. Since that ancient time, water began to be considered a symbol of purity, and on the feast of Epiphany, water-blessing rituals were performed.
Church priests organize a religious procession to cleanse everyone of evil spirits with the help of holy water and prayer. Doors were always kept open for them. According to baptismal signs, a family that does not allow the priest into the house dooms itself to trouble for the entire coming year.
Before the feast of Epiphany on the 18th and directly on the day of Epiphany on January 19, believers try to recruit blessed water. This is due to the fact that, according to legend, all the water in any body of water and flowing from the tap is considered holy. To wash oneself with such water and to wash one’s children with it means to gain health and happiness. Blessed water is also sprinkled on homes and given to pets. Girls try to wash themselves blessed water, because according to popular superstitions about Baptism, such water gives beauty and heals spiritual wounds.
Signs about Epiphany bathing
Signs for Epiphany on January 19 state that throughout the whole day, starting in the early morning, you can plunge into an ice hole cut out especially for the holiday in order to become clean and healthy. They cut it out into the ice in the shape of a cross, and a cross is placed nearby. The priests bless the water in the ice hole for the bathing ceremony.
According to folk superstitions about Epiphany, bathing during the feast of Epiphany involves double purification through fire and water, which is why beet juice was often poured into wormwood, which was associated with the element of fire.
According to folk signs and traditions, on Epiphany, the one who plunges into an ice hole or who decides to simply wash himself under a cold running water in your home bathroom, you won’t get sick throughout the next year.
Dipping rules
Dipping into an ice hole at Epiphany is associated with a number of simple customs that are strictly observed by believers:
- for women diving in wormwood, it is important to be dressed in a shirt; beliefs explain this by the need to protect themselves from the sins of others, which during the plunge will be washed off from some and subsequently stick to others,
- women plunge with their heads covered, men - without hats,
- they enter the wormwood up to their chests, having previously crossed themselves,
- according to established tradition, they plunge into Baptism three times with prayer,
- when dipping, the gaze should be directed to the east, since the east is God's place of residence, where good reigns, and the west is the territory of the devil, where evil reigns.
Menu for Epiphany
People believe that you can receive God’s blessing if you spend the eve of the holiday, the 18th, in prayer, do not eat anything meat, since fasting continues, and begin to break your fast only on the 19th.
On Epiphany, signs and beliefs promise a sweet life all year long if the hostess turns out the main Epiphany dish - kutia - delicious.
The Epiphany menu for the holiday has its own characteristics. The celebration begins on January 18, and this day is popularly called Poor Kutya. By established rules They sit down at the table on Epiphany Eve for dinner only when the first star appears in the sky. There should be 12 dishes on the table, including no meat, and the main one is kutia. The following was added to this wheat porridge, symbolizing wealth and prosperity:
- honey so that life is sweet all year round,
- poppy against evil spirits,
- nuts to overcome life's difficulties,
- raisins for home abundance.
On the 19th, on Epiphany itself, signs and beliefs allow tables to be set with meat, jellied meat, jellied meat, sausages and pies. According to tradition, lunch always begins with a prayer and blessed Epiphany water.
Epiphany weather and everyday signs
By natural phenomena They predicted the weather at Epiphany, and according to everyday beliefs, they made fortunes for the future.
Signs about the weather
People noted that when there were frosts on Epiphany, there was no snow and it was a clear and cold day, a dry summer could be expected. Numerous stars in the sky at Epiphany also spoke about such summer weather. The southern January wind on the 19th brought future summer thunderstorms, and the full moon that appeared on the night of January 19th meant spring floods. Cloudy weather and snow spoke about high grain harvests.
Household signs
Among the people, signs for the baptism of the Lord said that livestock fed with blessed water or snow would bear large offspring all year round. Only they didn’t feed the chickens that day, because they were afraid of a bad harvest, so that poultry I didn’t eat all the grains.
Folk signs On Epiphany it is forbidden to do anything around the house on this great holiday. They don't take scissors on this January day.
On the day of Epiphany and three days after it, they did not wash it, for fear that their hands would become sore. This sign is due to the fact that water on Epiphany days is holy and cannot be desecrated with unclean linen.
On the Epiphany holiday, many tried to baptize the child, because people believed that communion with God on the 19th would make him happy. The future newlyweds scheduled an engagement on the 19th, which promised them a fun wedding in the future, and after it a carefree family life.
Fortune telling on the feast of Epiphany
There are many signs and customs about the well-known fortune-telling that was carried out in Rus' during Epiphany time from January 18th to 19th. People believed that on the night of Epiphany the heavens were opened to people, so they often read prayers and incantations.
Baptism - This is a very important event in the life of every person. Until the child is baptized, no conspiracy will help him; at these moments of his life no one is protecting him. But as soon as baptism is accepted, the Angels come to the protection of the new person. And on the day when Jesus Christ was baptized, protection from Higher powers all humanity received. For this reason, the holiday has its own meaning, as well as its own signs.
Why do people swim in ice holes?
At the blessing of water, any illness is eliminated. Signs for Baptism are considered the most powerful and correct, but it is worth noting that not all of them correspond to current reality. Even here you need to be careful and decide whether to believe it or not. For a long time, special ice holes were made on rivers, lakes and other bodies of water for the holiday. The clergy performed a prayer service over this place, after which both the water in the ice hole and the place around it acquired colossal healing power. Many centuries ago on this day, Jesus Christ entered the Jordan, was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended on him. It is believed that anyone who swims in an ice hole on this day will be able to get rid of many diseases and receive a blessing for life. happy life. Not everyone will dare to swim in an ice hole in such weather. Epiphany frosts are famous for their strength. This is incredible, but people claim that on this day the water is incredibly warm and it is simply impossible to freeze.
Stick in an ice hole - pigeons are born. Indeed, there is a custom to stick a long stick into the hole so that it reaches to the very bottom. It is believed that this will help ensure that bees and pigeons reproduce well. Perhaps someone considers this sign to be true, but opinions are divided. Those who keep an apiary or breed pigeons say that the main thing is to take good care of your pets, then they will breed well. Nature will do its job itself, and this sign is only superstition and nothing more.
Signs for Epiphany on January 19 and the weather
There will be a full moon at Epiphany - there will be big ones. melt water . This sign is based on observations. Everyone knows that snow can melt in different ways. They can get so bad that you can’t even get your feet wet, or they can leak so bad that even rubber boots won’t save you. So people noticed that if the full moon falls on Epiphany, then when the snow begins to melt, the streets will be flooded with water, like rivers. The process of snow melting will pass quickly, but there is hardly a person who does not get his feet wet these days.
If there is a new moon on Epiphany, the weather will be the same as these days until the end of the month. Again, a sign that is related to the weather is usually the most accurate. So, people say that if Baptism occurred on a new moon, then you need to look at what the weather is like in the next three days. If the weather is clear, then until the end of the month it will be frosty and clear. If it snows, the snowfall will end only in early February. And if it rains, it will rain until it stops.
Signs for the Epiphany of the Lord and our life
Epiphany snow is a talisman against seizures. Today, few people know that melt water from Epiphany can cure many diseases. Previously, it was customary to collect snow in a jug. For this purpose, there was even a special vessel in the house, which was not used for other purposes. When the snow collected for Epiphany melted and became water, this water was stored in the cellar and used in the event that a person’s legs were lost or convulsions began. People said that water could lift a paralyzed person and help an epileptic get rid of the disease.
Epiphany water - whiteness for canvas. Today there are so many chemicals, which help whiten clothes, but before there was no such chemistry. But people still managed to keep their linen snow-white. So, in order to implement this, housewives simply sprinkled Epiphany water on the laundry while washing and achieved amazing results. It's hard to believe, but if you try, you will be amazed at the results.
Epiphany snow for feed - no problems on the farm. IN in this case We are talking about domestic animals. In Rus', it was customary to add Epiphany snow to horse feed. It was believed that if they ate Epiphany snow, they would become stronger and more resilient. In addition, it was added to chicken feed. People believed that this would help them start laying eggs earlier. City dwellers may say that this is a superstition, but those who live in the countryside even today claim that the sign works.
At Epiphany the snow will pile up against the fence - expect a bad summer. This sign is also based on human observations. If it snows on Epiphany holidays and it lies close to the fence, you may not expect a harvest. Most of the crops will simply rot. But if there is at least a small gap between the fence and the snowdrift, then the harvest will be wonderful: what you collect will last until next summer.
At Epiphany the stars are bright - the sheep will multiply well. As on other major holidays, people always looked at the stars before Epiphany. It is believed that if they shine brightly on the night before the holiday, then this year there will be a lot of berries in the forest, the peas will grow beautifully, and the sheep will produce as many lambs as never before. But if the sky is overcast, then you may not see all this.
If a blizzard blows up on Epiphany, it will snow almost until the Holy Day.. In this case we mean Holy Easter. Old people say that if a blizzard blows on Epiphany, the snow will remain until this holiday. Even I had a chance to test this sign on myself. When there was a snowstorm on Epiphany, the snow lay not only until Easter, but right up to Krasnaya Gorka.
If dogs bark a lot at Epiphany, there will be plenty of all kinds of animals and game in the forest. Even if the dog is not a hunting breed, it still has the hunter's instinct. For this reason, it is generally accepted that any of them is able to sense in advance when a good hunt can be expected. Therefore, real trappers carefully monitor this sign and, already from Epiphany, begin to prepare their guns in the winter.
Snow flakes mean a harvest, and if it’s clear, a sign of crop failure. A good harvest has always been very important for people who work on the land. It was for him that they worked. Therefore, people paid attention to such signs that are associated with the upcoming harvest. special attention. In addition, there is another sign that is associated with bread. If it’s warm on Epiphany, the bread will be dark. This means that in the coming year there will be a very good harvest for rye, but wheat will yield poorly.
Usually, friends and relatives were invited to the house for Epiphany, and lavish feasts were organized. Everywhere on January 19, water was blessed - people went to services in churches or spent time in prayer at springs and rivers. It was believed that water blessed on this day has magical power. Therefore, they gave baptismal water to the sick, blessed houses, beehives with it, land plots and outbuildings.
January 19 is one of the most important church holidays in Orthodox Church. On this day, Christians remember one of the most significant events described in the Bible: Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River. It was during this ceremony that the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on Jesus, and a voice was heard from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This was a sign that Jesus was indeed the savior everyone had been waiting for. The blessing of water is the most important tradition followed in Rus' on January 19th. It is believed that such water can be used for a very long time - it is not subject to spoilage.
Usually there were severe frosts on Epiphany, but it was believed that after this the cold would subside and the sun would turn its course towards spring.
Folk signs for January 19
- People who were baptized on this day are the happiest
- Having a wedding from Epiphany to Maslenitsa means happiness in marriage. Matchmaking at Epiphany is also good sign
- If Epiphany frosts are stronger than Christmas frosts, it means the year will be fruitful
- If the water in the ice hole reached the brim on January 19, then in the spring there will be a strong flood
- If the weather is clear and frosty at Epiphany, then, according to signs, the summer will be dry
- If snow falls in large flakes on January 19, then there will be a good harvest
- Thaw at Epiphany - no severe frosts are expected until the end of winter either
- If a person was born on Epiphany Day, then he will be happy and lucky. He is recommended to wear jade as a talisman.
- Cloudy weather and snowfalls - to have a nice summer
- Warm weather at Epiphany is a sign indicating that the bread will be thick (dark)
- If at noon on January 19 the clouds turn blue, then you can expect a good harvest
- If there is a blizzard on Epiphany, it means that similar weather will last until the end of winter
- Full month - to a strong flood in the spring
- If dogs bark for a long time, then hunters can count on good booty this year
- It is believed that on Epiphany night the heavens open, and therefore whatever a person prays for will definitely come true
- Cloudy weather on January 19 promises a rich harvest of bread
- Swimming in an ice hole at Epiphany means cleansing from illnesses and sorrows for the whole next year.
- If a girl meets you on the morning of January 19 young man, she will get married this year. If she meets an old man, that means she will have to go as a girl for another year.
- If you give your cattle water to drink, they will reproduce well.
