| Hello...Tonight we will go to the river at
midnight. Jan 19 is the highest holy day in Russia. About
the only way to translate it into English would be a day of Pentecost or
Baptism of Fire. Knowing that, they baptize in the river on this
night. But the river is frozen over.
There was a 8 x 12 foot hole cut into the ice
where the people were going into the freezing water. There was a
ladder in and one out of the water with a wooden dock around the
hole. A short distance away there was a 8 x 12 foot 6 inch wide
cross cut into the ice with a curb on top to keep you from accidentally
sliding into the water. There, people were getting water from the
river as today it is considered holy water. Two older women had a
large milkcan to collect a years supply. The only problem is that
it was a good 50 meters to the bank and then up a pretty steep hill to
get to the road. |
