It is a common practice for Orthodox to bless water not only in church on Theophany, but to go to their nearest local body of water or even well and bless those waters also. The blessing is normally done twice: once on the Eve of the Feast — usually at a Baptismal font inside the church — and then again on the day of the feast, outdoors at a body of water. Following the Divine Liturgy, the clergy and people go in a Crucession (procession with the Cross) to the nearest body of water, be it a beach, harbor, quay, river, lake, swimming pool, water depot, etc. (ideally, it should be a body of “living water”).
At the end of the ceremony the priest will bless the waters. In the Greek practice, he does this by casting a cross into the water. If swimming is feasible on the spot, any number of volunteers may try to recover the cross. The person who gets the cross first swims back and returns it to the priest, who then delivers a special blessing to the swimmer and their household. Certain such ceremonies have achieved particular prominence, such as the one held annually at Tarpon Springs, Florida. In Russia, where the winters are severe, a hole will be cut into the ice so that the waters may be blessed. In such conditions, the cross is not cast into the water, but is held securely by the priest and dipped three times into the water. The water that is blessed in the church is known as “Theophany Water” and is taken home by the faithful, and used with prayer as a blessing. People will not only bless themselves and their homes by sprinkling with Theophany Water, but will also drink it. The Orthodox Church teaches that Theophany Water differs from regular holy water in that with Theophany Water, the very nature of the water is changed and becomes incorrupt, a miracle attested to as early as St. John Chrysostom (Homily on Christian Baptism in P.G. XLIX, 363).
Theophany in Constantinople, Turkey
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I threw a wooden cross into the waters of the Golden Horn and over a dozen swimmers raced to be the first to retrieve it.
Theophany in Tarpon Springs, Florida
Forty-seven male teens dove into 65-degree water Sunday to grab the cross in this 107 year old ceremony. Sixteen year-old Vassilios Harding was the first to retrieve it and was blessed by the Archbishop and carried off on the shoulders’ of fellow divers as he hoisted the cross in the air. This year’s cross floated rather than sank because organizers decided to make it lighter.
Theophany in Kalofer, Bulgaria
350 men in traditional dress waded into the icy Tundzha River with national flags. Led by the town’s mayor and encouraged by a folk orchestra and homemade plum brandy, they danced and stomped in the rocky riverbed.
Theophany in Constanta, Romania
3,000 Orthodox believers turned out to watch priests hurl three crosses into the icy sea. Dozens, some wearing diving suits, dived into the waters to retrieve the crosses. “We the people are so like the sea,” said Romanian Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie Tomitanul. “We hope that, as the sea has been calm until now this year, our souls will be just as calm.”
Theophany in Durres, Albania
Hundreds of faithful gathered at the seaport of Durres, accompanied by Metropolitan Nicholas of Apollonia, with four eager young men who dived into the icy cold waters to retrieve the cross. A 22 year old from the University of Tirana got the blessing of retrieving it first.
Theophany in Australia
Because Australia experiences a warmer climate this time of year, many celebrations take place at various seaports throughout the country, and they usually have more participants for the cross diving ceremony as well. It is so popular that it has become a tourist event.
Theophany in Alexandria, Egypt
Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa, following the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Annunciation in Alexandria, went to the Greek Yacht Club of Alexandria to hold the blessing of the waters ceremony, with local Greek school students participating. This is a tradition he established since he first became Patriarch.
Theophany in Vienna, Austria
For the seventh year in a row the Greeks of Vienna celebrated the Sanctification of the Waters ceremony in the Danube with the casting of the cross.
Theophany in Rhodes, Greece
On a beautiful sunny day in Rhodes, Gregorios Grigorakis retrieved the cross, praying that the crisis would soon come to an end and that the people will see better days ahead.
Theophany in Herakleion, Crete
Archbishop Irenaios of Crete presided over the ceremony of the Sanctification of the Waters in the port of Herakleion, and several youths jumped into the icy cold waters. 23 year old Michael Maravegias, a plumber by profession and second time diver, came out the winner, wishing everyone health and enlightenment.
Theophany in Argithea, Greece
In Argithea is the Cave Monastery in Koumpouriana. At Stefaniada Lake the monks and faithful gathered following the Divine Liturgy for the Sanctification ceremony, followed by a traditional meal at the Monastery.
Theophany in Corinth, Greece
Metropolitan Dionysios and the unfortunate swimmers in Corinth experienced the unexpected. When the Metropolitan threw the lightweight cross into the water and the swimmers dove into the water, suddenly a strong gust of wind took the cross and flew it into another port. Nothing like this had ever happened before, where the cross is thrown in one port and retrieved from another.