Thousands of Russians celebrating the Orthodox Christian feast day of Epiphany, where worshippers bathe in the icy waters of frozen lakes and rivers, have been forced to cancel their traditional ceremonies due to unusually warm winter temperatures.

A man steps down to plunge as a cross is reflected in icy water before celebrating the Orthodox Epiphany in the Stroginskaya floodplain in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) People plunge in cold water to celebrate the Orthodox Epiphany as the temperature dropped to about -15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) near the Achairsky monastery outside the Siberian city of Omsk,

Russians in the southern city of Anapa took their traditional Epiphany dips in waters affected by a major oil spill, officials said, despite concerns about the toxic pollution.

However local emergency services in some regions cancelled events, saying it was too hazardous for worshippers to cut bathing holes in icy ponds and rivers View on euronews

Military medic Natalya carried a jug of water blessed by priests at the Sviatogirsk monastery in east Ukraine as she celebrated Orthodox Epiphany in a Russian-affiliated church, despite the war.

Video. Epiphany ceremonies were held throughout North Macedonia, with the Holy Cross thrown into the water to commemorate the baptism of Christ.

In Serbia's Orthodox Christian community, the feast of the Epiphany is marked by the traditional "swim for the Holy Cross." This year, 100 competitors took part in the race in the Vlasina River in southern Serbia,

On January 19, Orthodox believers in Russia celebrate Epiphany, or the Baptism of the Lord, one of the 12 major Christian holidays (along with Easter) dogmatically connected with the events of the ...

Military medic Natalya carried a jug of water blessed by priests at the Sviatogirsk monastery in east Ukraine as she celebrated Orthodox

You could say that the winter chill and icy waters were counterbalanced by the warmth of prayer and the blessings for that water. “It’s the baptism of our Lord on Jan 6. We bless the waters, homes and people in the homes,

Across Russia, the devout and the daring celebrate Epiphany on January 19 by immersing themselves in frigid water through holes cut through the ice of lakes and rivers, imitating

Warm weather threatens Epiphany ice water plunges for Russia's Orthodox Christians Thousands of Russians celebrating the Orthodox Christian feast day of Epiphany, where worshippers bathe in the ...