This year I am adding to this post what we recorded last night as we walked. The Orthodox Church nearby started its bell ringing for the start(?) of Epiphany. All I know is that is rang for a long time and we finally walked far enough away to not hear it…
Epiphany Eve or The Eve, is widely known to be held on January 18, the day before the Baptism. On today, it is tradition to dunk yourself in frozen water and it is also tradition to eat cooked stewed fruit with raisins and honey, called “sochivo”, hence the name “sochevnik” or “eve”. Sochivo or kutia, hulled barley, wheat or rice, add sunflower, poppy, hemp vegetable oil and honey.
The grain symbolized reviving life, and the sweet sauce or honey, symbolize the sweetness that awaits in the hereafter. The tradition of cooking sochivo is closely connected with the Orthodox religion…
Crazy Russians…
Sveta and I think we pass on this Russian Tradition! 😉
WtR
PS: Even Putin gets in on freezing his you know whats off!