January 6 is Epiphany or Theophany. Wise Men, or magi, visited baby Jesus with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Bible doesn’t say how many magi came or their names; tradition says three: Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar. Some churches also celebrate Jesus’ baptism this day. Before December 25 was Christmas, January 6 was the main day to celebrate Jesus’ birth. It ends the 12 days of Christmas with food, parades, and gifts.
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We wish you all a happy Epiphany day.
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☦️Epiphany and the Cross-Diving Tradition
On the feast of the Epiphany, believers in a number of countries take part in a folk-religious tradition known as cross diving.
🔹 After the blessing of the water, a priest throws a cross into a body of water — a river, lake, or the sea.
🔹 Participants then swim to retrieve the cross from the water.
🔹 It is believed that the person who retrieves the cross first receives a special blessing for the year ahead.
🌍 This tradition is especially common in countries with a warmer climate than Russia, such as Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, as well as in several other countries and regions.
🇷🇺🇿🇦 This tradition is also practiced within the Russian-speaking diaspora in South Africa.
📸Photo (Cape Town)
🔗Source: https://t.me/Capetown_SouthAfrica_chat/50655
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