Today is One of The Bigest Orthodox Holidays - Epiphany or Jordan's Day

The Orthodox Church today celebrates the Epiphany - Jordan's Day, which is the third most important Christian holiday of the year.

It is one of the twelve feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God, known as the Baptism of the Lord, Epiphany or Jordan's Day, informs BTA.

According to the biblical account, on this day Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River by John the Baptist. At the moment of baptism, the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descends on Christ in the form of a dove, and a voice is heard from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Hence the name of the holiday - Epiphany. The Feast of the Epiphany has the most ancient origin among the feasts of the Orthodox Church.

Although the information about him from the written monuments is very scarce, the church writer Clement of Alexandria testifies about him clearly enough. He spoke of the celebration of the messianism or divinity of Jesus Christ at his baptism in the Jordan River, celebrated by Christians on January 6.

The church in Egypt has given the ancient name of the holiday - "Feast of Light" / in Slavic "Enlightenment" /. It has survived in our country to this day along with the name "Epiphany". "Epiphany" comes from the word "appearance" / from Greek "epiphany" /, which was replaced by the more specific - "theophany" - "Epiphany". Today the holiday is also called the Baptism of the Lord and Jordan's Day, and in different parts of the country - Epiphany, Epiphany, Epiphany.

According to popular belief, on the night before the Epiphany in the dead of night, the sky opens and everyone who sees it will receive from God what he desires. It is also believed that then the water stops, purifies and then acquires great power. That is...

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