Wednesday Walk. My walk and bathing in the Jordan (ice-hole)

My walk today turned out to be so interesting.
On Epiphany it is tradition to bathe in an ice-hole.
Because this day is an Orthodox holiday.
People bathe in the ice-hole on the river near the church.

There are already some people down there on the river.
Also, there is always a rescue service nearby as well.
So far in the morning there are few people who want to swim.
But in the afternoon there will be a lot of people.

Down to the river is a wide and large staircase.
People who have already arrived go down.
There by the locker rooms is the ice hole.
It is cut through the ice in advance (yesterday).

And this is how this hole in the ice looks like.
Every year at this place they cut it for this day.
So that on the Feast of the Epiphany people would bathe.
So to say in the Jordan, but in winter and in frost.

And here I am swimming in the ice-hole the same way.
They make an ice hole as comfortable as a swimming pool.
So that everything is safe for the people who are swimming.
Today it's not so cold, the temperature is only minus 18 C.

And then we drove back home through the city.
We walked along the streets and went into the city park.
Where I still managed to take pictures of the cityscape.
I really liked those tall and big birch trees in the alley.

I also managed to visit this beautiful place in the park.
Where the pines grow, adding beauty to the park.
Although the trees are young, there are a lot of them.
Such is the scenery during my walk after the swim.

And I had to walk through the park on the trail.
On which people were walking toward the temple.
That's where they all go swimming in the ice hole.
I could see that there were quite a few people walking already.

This festive day was becoming bright in the sunshine.
Large shadows appeared on the snow drifts in the park.
Did they add some kind of fairy tale to the Epiphany?
It was winter, and I felt very good, cheerful, and festive.

As I walked toward home, it felt warmer outside.
Or maybe it was because I had been swimming.
I felt like my whole body was on fire and invigorated.
But you can't tell it all in words-it has to be felt.

So there's a lot of information on this walk today.
The very information that shows the wonders around us.
And one of the miracles is swimming in an ice hole.
I advise many to experience this moment of delight.

Also, as we can see - it's a sunny day today.
And that tells us that the Feast of the Epiphany.
Just recently there was a snowstorm and snow.
And today is such beautiful weather, like a gift.

Here you can see that after the blizzard and snow.
All the roads in the city park have been cleaned.
And there is still a track around the city park.
Amazing beauty of nature in winter in our city.

Such fantastic shadows on the snow drifts.
In the city park, through which I walked home.
There's beauty in that too, which is in the photo.
I didn't freeze myself, I even got hot as I walked.

And this is the same road I used to go back.
Home to my cottage, I wanted to take a walk.
And to get the full satisfaction of the day.
I also took home some Holy Water on Epiphany.

THE BAPTISM OF LORD. BATHING IN THE JORDAN.

Soul and body at Epiphany wanted,
Free from days of gray chains.
With friends to bathe again in the font,
In the midst of snow, of ice, a moment of delight!

In front of the cathedral, as always, we're there,
To the merry go round, the people, the splash of water...
To the divinity of the day in love touched,
Leaving their footprints in the snow!

Here's the young maiden, here's the man,
The priest dipping his daughter.
The line before the Jordan is suddenly long...
And I and my friends stand waiting!

No, what? Who will be the first to challenge the body?
Go, go, go, go! Who's first? Go on...
There's a pretty one in the crowd! She'll ask us,
And we must tell her it's Paradise!

She's cold! Shivering, a tear rolling down her throat...
There's no turning back! We stand at the Threshold.
Before the ice-hole where all life is broken,
But here's a jerk to the water... for God is with us!

And the water was boiling,
♪ Some went wild, some just screamed ♪
And a maiden from the crowd rejoiced,
That the Threshold of Winter didn't scare us!

And when I got out of the water I wanted to do more,
To dive, to run amok and to shout with joy.
Each one sang enthusiastically,
In body and soul - pleasure! Who could have known?

To know only that we have been able, we have succeeded,
Come in the midst of life's confusing roads.
To the salvation of the soul in the holy font,
And to Faith the Lord God guided us!

The Epiphany of Christ is our example,
He saved the sinful world from its defilement.
And we can't understand by "standard" size,
Why did he go to Calvary when he was baptized?

Because we are spiritually weak,
And in our bodies we are weak to live.
That is why the chasm is so great,
Between us as the heavenly Dawn!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
-original photo;
-first publication;
-camera Sony 16.2.
(Translated via DeepL Translator from Russian)

Photos posted by me are clickable.
They can be viewed in large size by clicking on the photo.

Photos were taken with the size of 2592 x 1944 pixels.
For insertion into a post on Ecency and Hive, the size is reduced to 1280 x 960 points..
Photo taken - Sony 16.2 - 3x Zoom, Vario-Tessar lens.