Russia's faithful ice dippers fret at warm winter

MOSCOW, Jan 20 (Reuters) Russia's faithful indulged in the annual Orthodox tradition of plunging through ice holes into freezing water, but a key ingredient was missing: it is not cold.

Grandmothers, robed priests and burly businessmen can usually be seen leaping through holes in the ice on frozen rivers and lakes across Russia to celebrate Orthodox Epiphany.

Arctic temperatures mean special helpers have to skim off the ice that forms in seconds in the ice holes.

But the warmest winter in a generation has melted the ice and snow, leaving Russia's faithful fretting about their traditional winter swim.

''We have never had such weather I have never seen anything like it,'' said Vladimir Grebyonkin, 66, who takes a dip every year and is chairman of the winter swimming association.

Christian Orthodox Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Christ in the River Jordan when worshippers believe the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. It is celebrated on January 19.

''You of course do not really have to have snow there was no snow where Christ was baptised. So we will be taking a swim as usual,'' Grebyonkin said yesterday, before inviting a Reuters reporter to take a dip.

Russians, who discuss the weather with a peculiar intensity, have been shocked by this years blazing for European Russia weather.

''This year there is no ice and so no holes in the ice: believers will have to just jump into cold water,'' bemoaned Russia's most popular daily, Komsomolskaya Pravda.

Not just believers, but bears at Moscow Zoo have had their winter habits undermined by the heat: the bears dropped off late for their hibernation and two have already woken up early.

REUTERS SY DS1005