Epiphany celebrated across the country

Greeks have celebrated Epiphany with blessing of the waters ceremonies across the country.

The holiday is known as Three Kings Day for some Catholics and the Baptism of Christ for the Orthodox.

Good weather helped bring out the crowds for the outdoor celebrations, with swimmers competing against each other to grasp a floating cross thrown by priests into seas, rivers or lakes. Retrieving the cross is believed to confer special blessing upon the person who retrieves it.

In the port of Piraeus, a cross is traditionally thrown three times, to accommodate the throngs of swimmers.

Attending the ceremonies in Hania, Crete, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that "at the dawn of 2024 we have the right to look to the future with more optimism, with more confidence."

Acknowledging the geopolitical difficulties and inflation, the prime minister said ...