Bulgarians celebrate Epiphany! Hundreds of men dive in rivers and lakes to retrieve the cross cast by a priest (PHOTOS)

On January 6, Bulgaria celebrates Epiphany or Yordanovden, one of the most significant Christian holidays. It is associated with the baptism of Christ in the waters of the Jordan River. Churches across the country held Great Water Blessing ceremonies, sanctifying the water and offering divine liturgies. As oart of the tradition, in many places, hundreds of men plunged into icy waters to retrieve the cross, believed to bring health and blessings to the one who retrieves it first.

In Kalofer, the cross was retrieved early in the day, where the famous men's horo (traditional dance) took place in the frigid waters of the Tundzha River. A participant from the horo caught the cross and, as pat of the tradition, passed it to the youngest child participating in the ritual.

"I don't live in Bulgaria, but I try to keep the Bulgarian spirit alive within me," said Kaloyan.

"This is the strength of men. To see a group of men enter the river and make the waters boil—this is life itself," said another participant.

In Sofia's Druzhba district, 23-year-old Nikolay Dimitrov retrieved the cross from the lake.

"May we be healthy and have a successful year, full of good things. I wish for there to be no hatred among Bulgarians, for us to be united like a family, helping each other and moving forward together," Nikolay wished.

In Sofia, 40 men took part in the ritual, the youngest being 18 years old and the eldest 84. His Holiness, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil, led the Great Water Blessing.

"There is often bitterness, heaviness, and sometimes weariness in our interactions with one another—irritation, impatience—but God calls us to have love in our hearts for all people," Patriarch Daniil said.

In Burgas, an 18-year-old student from the Mathematics High School was the first to retrieve the cross.

Photos by BTA and Dessislava Kulelieva, BNT

"It holds deep symbolism for me, which is why I’ve jumped (for the cross) for the third consecutive year. It means a lot, and I am truly proud that luck smiled on me this year," commented Kalin Uzunov.

For 40 years Vasil Nikolov has participated in the Epiphany ritual. the 72-year-old man is also the oldest among the paticipants, but he has never retrieved the cross before.

"When I jump, my whole year is healthy. It's a kind of tempering and observance of traditions," Vasil Nikolov said.

In Nessebar, 29-year-old Stoyan Valchev caught the cross. The local tradition involves retrieving seaweed from the sea and bringing it home, as it is believed that everything from the sea on this day possesses healing power. When illness strikes, the seaweed is burned to bless and cleanse the home.

In Plovdiv, 19-year-old Ivan Zisov retrieved the Holy Cross from the Maritsa River. Ivan, a student at the University of Food Technologies, took part in the ritual as a sign of hope because he is about to undergo a serious operation and takes the custom of Epiphany as a sign that everything will go well. Over 100 participants jumped into the river to catch the cross, which was thrown by Metropolitan Nikolay.