Epiphany celebrated across the country

The blessing of the waters ceremonial astatine Afroditis beach, Piraeus, Monday [John Liakos/InTime News]

Greeks person celebrated Epiphany with blessing of the waters ceremonies crossed the country.

Good weather helped bring retired the crowds for the outdoor celebrations, with swimmers competing against each different to grasp a floating transverse thrown by priests into seas, rivers oregon lakes. Retrieving the transverse is believed to confer special blessing upon the idiosyncratic who retrieves it.

In the larboard of Piraeus, a transverse is traditionally thrown three times, to accommodate the throngs of swimmers.

Attending the ceremonies astatine Hadrian’s Aqueduct successful Athens, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that Greece draws strength and anticipation from the solemnisation of the Epiphany.

“The connection of the Epiphany is, astatine its core, 1 of optimism, anticipation and self-confidence. And, indeed, Greece today is simply a beacon of stability successful an unstable world and a state that, contempt difficulties, is paving the way for advancement successful a much wide situation of stagnation,” helium said.

President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was astatine Lake Doiran successful Kilkis for the celebration.

PASOK person Nikos Androulakis was astatine the Phanar successful Istanbul, while SYRIZA main Socrates Famellos be the ceremonial successful Piraeus.