Blessing Of Waters At Festival A Time-Honored Greek Tradition: Photos

GREENPORT, NY — A time-honored and beloved tradition continued Saturday at the 33rd Greenport Maritime Festival as the Saints Anargyroi, Taxiarchis and Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church held a procession to “bless the waters."

Clergy held a service by Greenport harbor with prayer and then, the priest threw a holy wooden crucifix into the water. Boys standing at the opposite side of the marina dove in and raced to retrieve the cross; the winner held the holy prize high, kissing it and then, was blessed by the priest.

Whoever finds the cross will have blessings for the entire year, clergy at the event said.

Diving for the cross traditionally takes place every year in January in Greece and other places around the world, when a priest throws a cross into water and young men dive in to retrieve it, according to NYCData.

"Whoever retrieves the cross is believed to have good luck for the year and receives a special blessing at the church altar later. This ritual commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in Jordan River and is a long revered Greek tradition, known as epiphany," the report said.