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Epiphany bathing ritual observed in Siberia’s coldest town for first time

On Epiphany, Orthodox believers take part in mass bathing to commemorate the baptism of Christ

MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. Believers in east Siberia’s Verkhoyansk, one of coldest towns in the world, for the first time immersed themselves in the freezing waters to observe an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany, the local eparchy told TASS on Friday.

"Epiphany bathing took place in our town for the first time. The temperature fell to minus 63 degrees but this did not scare off the believers," the eparchy said.

Each year on Epiphany, Orthodox believers take part in mass bathing to commemorate the baptism of Christ in the River Jordan.

Verkhoyansk is one of the places considered the northern Pole of Cold, where temperatures plunged to a record minus 67.6 degrees Celsius in February 1892.