Tarpon Springs Florida - Epiphany Celebration January 6 2012

Tarpon Springs Florida - Epiphany Celebration January 6 2012

Each year, on the Feast of the Epiphany, young Greek boys between the ages of 16 and 18 attend mass at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox cathedral in at 36 N Pinellas Avenue in Tarpon Springs. The services begin at 8 in the morning and once the services are over the boys head to the bayou to await the tossing of the cross.

At approximately 12 noon, once the services are complete, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, Georgia, will lead the procession to the bayou. In the procession will be Greek school children, dressed in their native costume.

Anna Athanasatos, a student at the University of South Florida, will be the Dove Bearer this year. The white dove that she will release symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Once the dove is released, Archbishop Demetrios will toss the cross into the chilly waters of the bayou just two blocks away from the cathedral.

This year there will be 60 boys waiting in row boats for that toss so they can jump into the waters to retrieve the sacred cross. The young man who comes up with the cross will be blessed by the archbishop. It is believed that he will have a year of special luck. This celebration is a reminder of Jesus being baptized in the River Jordan.

Once the cross has been retrieved and the lucky youth blessed, everyone heads over to Spanos Pappas Community Center's Theophiles Hall at 348 N Pinellas Avenue for food, drink, music and dancing. This is one event you want to be sure to attend if you are in the Tarpon Springs area!