Epiphany

Epiphany (also called Theofania or Fota) is celebrated on January 19 and is a day of joy and brightness, as Christians celebrate the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. At the Baptism of Christ, all three Persons of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—were made manifest. Thus, the name of the Feast is Epiphany, meaning manifestation, or Theophany, meaning manifestation of God.

The most important ritual is the “blessing of the waters”, which is performed by the priests. In seaside or lakeside areas, there is also the ritual of the priest throwing a special cross into the water and swimmers jumping in the water to recover it.