Swimmers vied…
Swimmers vied to catch a wooden cross during a traditional ceremony to bless the waters in the northern port of Thessaloniki on Saturday. Orthodox priests across the country led similar ceremonies to mark the Epiphany, a national holiday, at riverbanks, seafronts and lakes. In Istanbul, Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios threw a cross into the freezing waters of the Golden Horn and several worshippers jumped in to retrieve it. According to religious tradition, whoever retrieves the cross will enjoy good luck and health for the entire year.
