Greek Orthodox people celebrated the Epiphany across Greece over the weekend with a number of traditional Blessing of the Waters ceremonies.
This was the first year the Epiphany was held without COVID-19 restrictions, with the last two years seeing celebrations cancelled or scaled back as Greece struggled with a huge surge in COVID-19 infections.
In the Greek city of Thessaloniki, the unseasonably warm weather helped bring out the crowds for the outdoor celebrations. The man who retrieved the cross told local media he had been trying to do so since 1996, missing only two occasions.
On the Greek island of Lemnos, the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, attended the celebration of Epiphany.
“This day brings the message of the victory of light against darkness. Light that modern man seeks to flood his heart with hope, especially in difficult times,” Sakellaropoulou said on the day.
“Celebrating the Epiphany in the insular bastion of Hellenism in the Aegean, the island of Lemnos, I wish everyone enlightenment.”
Elsewhere, the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, attended Epiphany celebrations on the Greek island of Gavdros and spoke to the locals.
READ MORE: Thousands attend Blessing of the Waters ceremony conducted by Papa Lefteris at Rye.
