Holy water

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks today the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a day known in Bulgaria as "Krastovden" or the Day of the Cross.

January 6 marks Epiphany, known as "Yordanovden" or Jordan's Day in Bulgaria, a vibrant celebration deeply rooted in the country's cultural fabric. This cherished festival embraces water blessings and age-old rituals, symbolizing purification and prosperity.

The Orthodox Church celebrates, on Wednesday, the Baptism of the Lord or the Epiphany, and the liturgical events occasioned by this celebration will take place this year in compliance with the sanitary rules.

Photos of a Roman Catholic priest in the Detroit area using a squirt gun to spray parishioners with holy water in an attempt to maintain social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic have gone viral.

Epiphany Day, also known as Theofania or Fota, is celebrated across Greece each year on January 6 commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, according to the Orthodox Church and the banishing of the mischievous Kalikantzaroi back to the hollow earth, according to popular belief.