January 7, 2024
FEATURED, Lifestyle, Society
Greeks celebrated the Epiphany on January 6 with the suitable glory and the tradition dictating that people jump in the cold water to catch the Holy Cross and be blessed for the rest of the year. It is a custom that assigned priest throws the Cross into the sea, in …
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January 5, 2024
Society, Very Mix
Traffic will be restricted in the Kolonaki district of Athens and at the port of Piraeus over the celebration of Epiphany Day on Saturday, January 6, 2024. In Athens, traffic restrictions will affect the Kolonaki area (around the Greek Orthodox Church of Agios Dionyssios Areopagitis on Skoufa, and the Dexameni …
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January 6, 2023
Editor, FEATURED, Opinion
The Greek Orthodox tradition to throw a Holy Cross into the waters on the Epiphany Day remains largely a males-only issue even in the 21st century. Dozens of men, as young as 8 years old and as old as 89, jumped into the cold sea, into a river or a …
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January 6, 2022
Uncategorized
Greeks all over the world celebrated the Epiphany, the Blessing of the Waters, on Thursday. The tradition wants the faithful to dive into the waters not matter how cold or warm to catch the Holy Cross a local priest has thrown into it in a ceremony called the “Diving of …
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January 6, 2021
CORONAVIRUS, FEATURED, Greece, Politics
Greeks flocked to churches and crowded for a bottle of Blessed Water and a sip of Holy Communion on Epiphany, after the Prime Minister bowed to the pressure of the powerful Church of Greece. The government reversed a ban and allowed the opening of churches to limited number of faithful …
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January 5, 2021
CORONAVIRUS, FEATURED, Greece
Τhe Greek government admitted on Tuesday that it ignored the epidemiologists’ proposals for early lockdown in Thessaloniki in October “out of respect for traditions and religion.” That was said on Tuesday morning by Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis. Speaking to Skai TV, Georgiadis said that “Out of respect for tradition and …
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January 4, 2021
Greece, Politics
“The law cannot be applied as needed so that anyone who disagrees can sidestep it,” the government said in a response statement to the Church of Greece late on Monday. “Beyond a mere obligation, the implementation of preventive measures is also an act of social solidarity and responsibility, by all …
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January 4, 2021
CORONAVIRUS, FEATURED
The Church of Greece is revolting against the conservative Government and defies the ban of religious services in the presence of faithful on Epiphany on January 6. In a meeting on Monday, the Holy Synod decided to open the churches to believers despite the ban aiming to prohibit the spread …
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January 7, 2020
Lifestyle
Greek Orthodox Christians plunged into icy cold waters on Monday and sought the Holy Cross in the sea, in lakes and rivers as Greeks marked the religious feast of Epiphany on January 6. On this day, Theophany or Fota (Lights) Greeks commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan …
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January 6, 2018
animals
Blessing the Waters and release white doves to symbolize the Holy Spirit? Greek religious ceremonies are nice if the doves are alive. In Kalamata, however, the mayor released one dove, a dead dove that fell like a rocket into the water instead of flying high in the sky and bring …
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January 7, 2017
Very Mix
The Epiphany and the religious tradition of blessing the Waters was celebrated across Greece on Friday, January 6th. Hundreds of faithful defied the cold and jumped into the sea to retrieve the Cross for good luck. However, in Patras, the holy custom ended up in a brawl among divers arguing …
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January 6, 2015
Uncategorized, Very Mix
The Epiphany tradition of Greek Orthodox Church turned into a real test for the faithful and brave divers this year. The cold was biting, strong winds were blowing from the North. This did not hinder the faithful divers to jump into ice-cold waters, catch the Cross and receive the blessings …
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January 6, 2014
Politics
They were standing among the faithful during the traditional religious ceremony of Epiphany. Several gay couples of both sexes. The moment the ultra-conservative bishop Seraphim was blessing the waters and throwing the crucifix into the sea of Pireaus, the gay men and women suddenly started to kiss each other. …
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January 6, 2014
Politics
A special message on the occasion of Epiphany was given by Greek prime Minister Antonis Samaras to the citizens on the occasion of divine revelation: it’s all about roads…. The roads will lead us to development and growth and bring prosperity to the people…. Or something like that. “Major road …
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January 6, 2014
Society
Everything was set for the traditional blessing the waters ceremony. Local officials had lined at the waterfront of Rhodes port and so had done the young divers in swimming suits – eager to jump into the cold sea and catch the cross. However, the moment the priest threw the cross …
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January 6, 2012
Very Mix
The Epiphany tradition wants Greek Orthodox priests to throw the Cross into the water and Greek Orthodox believers to jump into the cold water and catch the Cross. However this tradition had almost a fatal effect to one priest and six ambitious young divers due the rough weather in Scala …
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January 6, 2012
Society
The first politicians who got to hear the anti-government slogans was Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou and Athens Major Yiorgos Kaminis. The two had joined the Epiphany Celebrations in noble Athens district Kolonaki. But while the priest of Agios Dionysios Church was blessing the waters in a symbolic act, the few …
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