Скачать или смотреть Putin celebrates Jesus's Baptism

January 19 in the Russian Orthodox Church is Epiphany, which celebrates Jesus's Baptism in the Jordan River by his cousin, John the Baptist. Many Russians commemorate this by submerging themselves in rivers or lakes on this day, dunking themselves three times to symbolize the Holy Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They make the sign of the cross each time they submerge. At various sites around Russia, big crosses are carved into the ice that covers the rivers and lakes this time of year, and people submerge themselves into those crosses. Sometimes, carved ice sculptures of crosses are also erected at these sites, as can be seen on the right in this video. President Putin is a practicing Russian Orthodox Christian, and though this icewater-submersion tradition is not required of Christians, it is a beloved Russian practice, and Putin has often done it on Epiphany.