Further evidence: Christianity is not for wimps

Behold, Russian President Vladimir Putin, observing Orthodox Epiphany early this morning by taking a plunge into freezing water in Russia.

Some background: 

For Orthodox Christians the feast of the Epiphany (or Theophany), which takes place on January 19 and commemorates Christ’s baptism in the River Jordan, is celebrated with a blessing of the waters. On this holy day, at midnight on the eve of the feast, thousands of Russian Orthodox brave below-freezing temperatures and plunge (if only briefly) into ice-cold lakes and rivers in a ritual of purification that lasts throughout the night.

Read on for the chilling details.