What is Epiphany?

If you were fortunate enough to have grown up in a town such as Tarpon Springs, Florida, where I attended high school, then you are probably quite familiar with some of the unique cultural celebrations associated with Epiphany. Each year on this ancient church holiday, what I remember vividly was skipping school to see many of my classmates (young men age 16 to 18 of the Greek Orthodox faith) dive into the chilly waters of Spring Bayou to retrieve the cherished cross. The "blessing of waters" and "diving for the cross" ceremonies were famous in our predominately Greek community, and that fame was shared for a year by one special Greek classmate who had the honor of recovering the crucifix and receiving the traditional full-year's blessing.

On January 6, 2009, after more than 100 years of celebrating this tradition, the annual Greek Orthodox festival in Tarpon Springs will continue to draw large crowds, yet many observers may not understand the spiritual significance behind these Epiphany ceremonies.

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