Russians in icy plunge to celebrate Epiphany

Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church followers plunged into icy rivers and ponds across the country to mark Epiphany, cleansing themselves with water deemed holy for the day.


Water that is blessed by a cleric on Epiphany is considered holy and pure until next year's celebration, and is believed to have special powers of protection and healing.
 [themoscowtimes.com]
19/1/17
***A theory says that when a human being jumps into ice-cold water, they improve their immunity. Medics do not share this point of view. Immunologists say that such a strong physiological stress undermines the immune system and triggers the developments of various infections that were previously subdued.

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