TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Thousands of people attended the 114th annual event of the Epiphany on Monday.
The Epiphany Celebration celebrates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist.
The 100-plus year old tradition is a day-long affair which is highlighted by local teenage boys diving into Spring Bayou to retrieve a cross thrown into the water by an archbishop. The boy who surfaces with the cross is said to have good luck for the following year.
This year the lucky teenager was 18-year-old Hunter Sakadales.
RELATED STORIES:
- Famous Tarpon Springs family builds boats used by Epiphany divers
- Tarpon Springs teen retrieves the 2018 Epiphany cross
- 113th Annual Epiphany Celebration in Tarpon Springs
Following the dive there is a huge celebration called the Epiphany Glendi which features food, drinks, live music and dancing.
The celebration began with the Archierarchial Liturgy at Saint Nicholas Cathedral at 8 a.m. on Monday.
Following the Liturgy, a procession made its way to Spring Bayou at 11:30 a.m. Once they're there, the water were blessed and the cross was thrown in.
Epiphany schedule
- Orthros - 8 a.m.
- Archierarchial Liturgy - 9:30 a.m.
- Greater Blessing of the Waters (Cathedral) - 11:30 a.m.
- Procession to Spring Bayou - 12:15 p.m.
- Blessing of the Bayou and Casting of the Cross - 1 p.m.
For more information, click here.
