Competitors battle retrieve a wooden cross in Greece

Competitors battle retrieve a wooden cross thrown into the sea by a priest in Greece

People all over Greece congregated along the country’s waters on January 6 2022 for an ice cold dip into the sea.

Competitors battle to retrieve a wooden cross thrown into the sea by a priest. The tradition – otherwise known as the Blessing of the Waters Day – takes place every year to celebrate the day of Epiphany, Euronews report.

A priest, surrounded by eager young men and boys, throws a wooden cross into the sea, either from the harbour or from a boat floating on the water, and competitors battle retrieve a wooden cross in Greece. The second the cross leaves the priest’s hand, the divers jump into the freezing water to catch the cross. The lucky one who finds and returns the cross receives a blessing from the priest.

Widely considered to be a sacred, celebratory act, the leaps are carried out to commemorate the baptism of Christ and to bless the waters.