The Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar celebrate Epiphany on January 19. Services are held in churches and parishioners can then take holy water on the eve, IPN reports.

The people say the holy water should be used to splash the home and can be used in food or when someone is ill. Eugenia, who went to take holy water from the Metropolitan Cathedral “God’s Birth” in Chisinau, said the holy water is curative.

“We came to take holy water, to attend the service, to light a candle and to do something good,” said parishioner Olga. The woman noted she drinks holy water on Wednesdays and Fridays and bought basil to splash holy water in the house with it.

In front of the Metropolitan Cathedral, a number of elderly women sold basil for 5 lei a bunch and PET bottles for taking holy water for 2 to 5 lei a piece.

Basil seller Maria said the house, garden and animal sheds should be splashed with holy water, which is also drunk in the morning to be healthy.

Epiphany is one of the most important Christian holydays that ends the series of winter religious holidays.