Following Easter and Christmas, Kreschenije (Baptism ) is one of the most important religious holidays in the lives of Russian Orthodox people. This day is in honor of John the Baptist who baptized Christ in the Jordan River.

To baptize you need to use water, so water is one of the big parts of this holiday. Lots of people go to Church to bring home bottle of Holy water. This water is considered healing and people drink it when they are sick or need strength. Many are also bathing in the cold water outside. This year there were about 50 authorized locations in Moscow for those who would like to follow the tradition and wash away their sins in the cold water.

To read more about this religious holiday follow this link http://www.pravmir.ru/kreshenie-gospodne-zhizn-vechuju/