Водохрестя

Прокуравське Водохрестя 2022 року.
Vodokhrestia in Prokurava, 2022.
Literally, the word could be translated as “the blessing of the waters”. I believe the words Epiphany or Theophany can be used too. Apart from the holiday mass in church people attend the riverside part of this event, where the waters are blessed, for two practical reasons: to take home a bucket or two of the blessed water; and to take home a piece of the spongy tree mushroom that has been lit by the candles used for blessing the waters. The water is kept in a safe place until the next year and is used throughout the year for various cleansing and healing purposes (washing your face when someone put a spell of you, drinking it when feeling sick, sprinkling on people or things you want to protect). The smoking sponge is carried around the house to cleanse and bless it. Although the whole event takes a couple of hours, village men spend a lot of time making a cross and (lately) all sorts of elaborate structures, all out of ice. On this particular Vodokhrestia in Prokurava they built the cross, the trident, the words Prokurava 2022 as well as the Christmas hangar, all out of ice.

[@m_mikola]

🙏🙏🙏
Христос народився.
Славімо Христа.

[@MarcoBlaauw]

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