Blessings of Waters

 

6th January.  The last day of Christmas and New Year celebrations. A big church fiesta here and national holiday. Another 3 day weekend. Yeh for the workers, except for those in the food and drink industry. Kids go back to school on Monday.

 Called Theophania here, the revelation of god. Elsewhere Epiphany, Twelth Night, Three Kings, Adoration of the Magi.  It commemorates too the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. 

Our father told us if we hadn't  taken down our Christmas decorations by the 6th the bad witch  would come and make havoc of them. 

Granddaughter came up, went through the house like a whirlwind, took every last bit of red ribbon, gathered the gnomes from under the tree, pulled the tree apart, packaged it and stored it. 

It's over

I know this day as the blessing of the waters. All over Greece local priests bless rivers, reservoirs, lakes or seas.  

On a beautiful warm day like it was this year the whole population of the island, it seems, comes out to watch the ceremony and then stays on the waterfront, meeting with large groups of friends and relatives to have a drink of coffee, ouzo, wine with plates of mezethes, snacks like roast pork, fried salt cod and garlic sauce, meatballs and fried cheese. So many delicacies, so much conversation, too much noise. 

We stayed at home this year which was fine by me. 

All the local priests board this traditional fishing kaiki and sail out into the middle of the straits, along with the bigwigs and those who think they should be wearing bigwigs. Looks a bit top heavy! 

All lined up, droning into a microphone, preparing to dip the cross in the sea, ten swimmers lined up on the dock ready to dive. No girls this year

With an escort from the rowing club

And granddaughter Poppi

Of course

Photos thanks to my daughter 

Elli Tz

Bigwigs.. 

Mogul, VIP, nabob, pooh-bah, honcho, bigcheese

Love those words