Worshippers Celebrate the Epiphany by Dancing in Icy Water

The ice dancers get a little help, though, fortifying themselves against the chill with wine and rakia, a kind of brandy.

A group of worshippers waded through an icy canal in Bulgaria on Sunday to mark Epiphany, a Christian holiday connected to Christmas. 

In the Orthodox tradition, Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. According to tradition, a crucifix is thrown into the water, and the person who finds it is said to be freed of evil spirits and in good health for the rest of the year. 

When the crucifix was retrieved, the men linked arms and danced in the freezing water, while the chilly spectators looked on. 

The ice dancers get a little help, though, fortifying themselves against the chill with wine and rakia, a kind of brandy.

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