On 7th January the #Orthodox #Church celebrates the Day of #Saint John the #Baptist, the man who baptized #Jesus #Christ in the #Jordan River.

It is a #traditional #Bulgarian holiday, part of the #festive cycle around #Christmas and New Year.

Essential for that day is the bathing #ritual for good health that is performed on #Yordanovden/#Epiphany day and continues on #Ivanovden. It is believed that the water on this day has purifying and sacred power.

That day is connected with marital rituals, as well. The newly-wed men are bathed by the best man at their wedding, or the bride’s brother. Therefore, bathing can be seen as an element of the post-nuptial rituals, thus ending the wide range of various marital rituals during the year.

Traditionally, on the 7th of January people, who has a name-day organize great celebrations with rich tables and a lot of guests. The ritual table on that day includes the following dishes: boiled wheat, cooked beans, stewed dried fruit, #banitsa, #kurvavitsa (baked blood sausage), baked loukanka sausage, and other local or traditional Bulgarian meals.

Today the Bulgarians and the #Orthodox #Church celebrate Yordanov den (St. Jordan' day). Yordanov day is also known as Epiphany. According to #Christianity this day is devoted to the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and is one of the greatest and solemn of the calendar of saints’.
On this day young and unmarried bulgarian men are  taking a dip in freezing waters to wash their sins away. Epiphany (#Yordanovden in #Bulgarian) is one of the major #Christian #holidays in #Bulgaria.

According to the #tradition people go to the nearest river and the #priest throws a #cross into the water. It is believed that the one who succeed to take out the cross from the water will be happy and rich all year round. So a lot of enthusiastic men jump into the ice cold waters of the river and try to catch the cross. After that people continue celebrating all day long.
The #Bible says that #John the #Baptist baptized #Jesus #Christ on January 6 in the #JordanRiver. When Jesus accepted John's baptism, they heard a voice from heaven saying: "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased". After that the #Spirit in the form of a dove descended on #Jesus. It was a sign that Jesus was the Lamb of #God and the #Messiah who had been promised.