SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) – Thousands of Orthodox Christian worshipers in Bulgaria on Wednesday ignored warnings from health authorities to refrain from mass gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic and instead stick to their age-old Epiphany traditions.
Young men plunged into the icy waters of rivers and lakes across Bulgaria to retrieve crucifixes thrown by priests during ceremonies commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ.
Legend has it that the person who retrieves the wooden cross will be freed from evil spirits and be healthy all year round. After the cross has been fished out, the priest sprinkles the faithful with water with a bunch of basil.
In the small mountain town of Kalofer in central Bulgaria, dozens of men dressed in traditional white embroidered shirts waded into the icy Tundzha River, waving national flags and singing national anthems. Inspired by bass drums and bagpipes and enhanced with homemade liqueur, they performed a slow ‘mazhko horo’ or man’s dance, stomping on the rocky river bed.
The mayor of Kalofer, who usually leads the dance, did not take to the river this year to set an example that coronavirus rules must be obeyed.
A few local police officers tried to prevent people from entering the river by threatening them with fines, but their calls were widely ignored.
Epiphany marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas, but not all Orthodox Christian churches celebrate it on the same day.
While the Orthodox Christian Churches in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania celebrate on January 6, Orthodox churches in Russia, Ukraine and Serbia follow the Julian calendar, according to which Epiphany is celebrated on January 19, while their Christmas falls on January 7.
Some Western Christian churches celebrate the religious holiday of Epiphany as the Epiphany Day, which marks the visit of the kings, or three wise men, to the baby Jesus, closing the Christmas season.
___
Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak