People immerse themselves in the icy waters during the Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

MOSCOW, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the traditional mass bathing in the icy waters to celebrate Epiphany, a major holiday of Orthodox Christians, the Kremlin said Saturday.

Putin, who took a dip in the Moscow region, has been participating for several years in the Epiphany bathing event, which takes place overnight to January 19 on Epiphany, the 12th day after Orthodox Christmas by the old Julian calendar.

According to the Russian Interior Ministry, more than 2.4 million people in Russia participated in celebrations of Epiphany including mass bathing and church services.