Celebrating Ephiphany In Serbia (with Photos)

[Era Might]

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/01/beautiful-and-terrifying-photos-of-orthodox-epiphany/267336/

 

Check out the article for photos.

 

[quote]Epiphany celebrations in these lands are characterized in part by a series of traditions that put college "polar bear plunges" to shame. In one, an Orthodox priest hurls a wooden cross into the river. Men dive after it and struggle to retrieve the cross. The one who gets the cross is supposedly blessed with good health in the coming year. A ritual in Russia recalls Jesus' baptism in the river Jordan by John the Baptist by having believers plunge into freezing water on the eve of Epiphany on January 18, the water having been blessed by an Orthodox priest. In some villages, ice holes are used for the rite, workers cutting through the ice of a frozen lake or river to form a pool in the shape of a cross. Below are some pictures of January 18-19 Epiphany celebrations in the past few years.[/quote]

[Anastasia13]

Spaciba. That is lovely.

[CatherineM]

I miss the Epiphany cross throwing in Tarpon Springs. The last one I went to had Bartholomew I all the way from Istanbul to do the tossing because it was the 100th anniversary.

[Nihil Obstat]

Oh, this is just awesome. :bounce:

 

[CatherineM]

Wonder if that pistol is loaded?