Sofia, Bulgaria
AP
Thousands of Orthodox Christian worshippers dived into the wintry waters of rivers and lakes across Bulgaria on Saturday to retrieve crucifixes cast by priests in Epiphany ceremonies commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ.
The legend goes that the person who retrieves the wooden cross will be freed from evil spirits and will be healthy throughout the year. After the cross is fished out, the priest sprinkles believers with water using a bunch of basil.
Men play bagpipes and drums as they wade into the cold Tundzha River to celebrate Epiphany, in the town of Kalofer, Bulgaria, on Saturday, 6th January, 2024. The legend goes that the person who retrieves the wooden cross from the river will be freed from evil spirits and will be healthy throughout the year. Epiphany marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas, but not all Orthodox Christian churches celebrate it on the same day. PICTURE: AP Photo/Valentina Petrova.
The celebration of Epiphany, or the Apparition of Christ, as Bulgarians call it, began in the capital, Sofia, with a water-blessing ceremony. Senior Orthodox clergy said prayers for the prosperity of the people and blessed the colours of representative army units – a tradition abandoned in 1946 and re-established in 1992.
The most attractive Epiphany ceremony was held again in the small mountain city of Kalofer in central Bulgaria, where dozens of men wearing traditional white embroidered shirts waded into the Tundzha River to perform the traditional slow “mazhko horo,” or men’s dance.
Up to their waists in the freezing water and holding each other by the shoulders their dance chain meandered for half an hour through the rocky riverbed. Inspired by bass drums and bagpipes and by a sip of homemade plum brandy, the dancers were waving national flags and singing folk songs.
Apart from the unique river dance, the event in Kalofer stands alone with the tradition that the man who retrieves the cross hands it to the youngest participant who receives the blessing for good health.
Epiphany marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas, but not all Orthodox Christian churches celebrate it on the same day.
While the Orthodox Christian churches in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania celebrate the feast on 6th January, Orthodox Churches in Russia, Ukraine and Serbia follow the Julian calendar, according to which Epiphany is celebrated on 19th January, as their Christmas falls on 7th January.
Meanwhile, in the US, Florida’s largest Greek Orthodox community celebrated the Epiphany as a 16-year-old boy dove into chilly water to retrieve a cross in an annual rite that draws thousands.
John Hittos found the cross before 64 other boys after it was thrown into a bayou in Tarpon Springs, a town on the Gulf Coast 30 miles north of Tampa and known for its large Greek community. The retriever of the cross is believed to receive a year of blessings. It is one of the largest Epiphany celebrations in the country.
“I didn’t see where the cross went in the water,” Hittos told reporters after emerging from the 65-degree (18-degree Celsius) water. “I didn’t know where it was, but I had a feeling and I just went down. I couldn’t see anything, but it was in my hand.”
John Hittos, 16, retrieves the cross during the annual cross dive in the Spring Bayou, part of the Epiphany celebration on Saturday, 6th January, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida. PICTURE: Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP.
The Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of Jesus to the world and comes from the Greek word “epiphaneia,” which means “appearance.” It is marked by Christians around the world with celebrations ranging from parades and gift-giving for children to the blessing of water. The holiday is also called the Feast of Epiphany, Three Kings Day and Theophany. In some traditions, it celebrates the baptism of Jesus and in others the visit of the Three Magi to the Baby Jesus.
The boys were led to the water from St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral by clergy and a nervous 17-year-old Chloe Kotis, who carried a white dove representing the Holy Spirit, She released it over the water before the dive.
“I’m happy to hold something that means so much,” she told the Tampa Bay Times.
Many Greek immigrants were drawn to Tarpon Springs because the waters were flush with sponges, and they quickly built a thriving industry. Others established restaurants, pastry shops and markets that offer a Mediterranean feel.
