SOFIA, Bulgaria | Thousands of Orthodox Christian worshippers jumped into icy rivers and lakes across Bulgaria on Sunday to recover crucifixes thrown aside by priests in ceremonies commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ.
Tradition maintains that anyone who retrieves the wooden cross will be relieved from evil spirits and will enjoy good health throughout the year. After the cross is fished out, the priest sprinkles the devout with water using a basil bunch.
Epiphany is held each year on Jan. 6 and marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas.
In the central Bulgarian mountain city of Kalofer, dozens of men donned in white embroidered shirts waded into the Tundzha River waving national flags and chanting folk songs Sunday.
Inspired by the music of drums and bagpipes, and a bit of homemade plum brandy, they performed a slow “mazhko horo,” or men’s dance, stomping on the rocky riverbed.
Directed by the town’s mayor, the men danced for almost 30 minutes, up to their waists in the freezing water, pushing away chunks of ice that were floating by.
Kalofer has applied to the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO, asking that they certify this traditional ritual as part of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity.”
