Event: Greece - Piraeus

Epiphany

When:	6 Jan 2008 (annual)
Where:	Athens

On 6 January, the "twelve days of Christmas" officially come to an end. In Greece, the day also marks a special ceremony of blessing the waters and of the vessels that use them. The modern observance at Piraeus, the ancient port of Athens, takes the form of a priest hurling a large crucifix into the sea.

Once thrown, only the brave face the cold waters and compete to retrieve it. The winner is awarded with good luck for the year ahead. After the diving, fishermen bring their boats to be blessed.

What does all this have to do with Christmas? Orthodox belief says that it was the day of the baptism of Jesus, and that this is where the association with water arises. But the observance itself may pre-date Christianity and reflect a survival of the custom of giving precious offerings to the spirits of the sea, and rivers, to assure their benevolence.

While the biggest observance is at Piraeus, many islands and villages offer smaller versions of the event, where a cross of gold is hurled far into a lake or river and a shivering crew of waiting swimmers then dive in to retrieve it.