The brave and the pious celebrate the Greek Orthodox Christian feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 19 by submerging themselves in icy water, the Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty website reports today (Jan. 20, 2024).
The event symbolizes the baptism of Christ and the cleansing of the soul at the start of a new year. Swimmers also dive into the water to retrieve a cross thrown in the water by an Orthodox priest, which is believed to bring good luck to the diver who retrieves it for a year.
Many Orhtodox Christians around the world have been marking the Epiphany one of the faith's three biggest celebrations. The Epiphany is often marked by a dip in water to symbolize Christ's baptism in the Jordan River.
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