Orthodox Christians Celebrate Epiphany
The head of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, led U.S. celebrations of Epiphany by ritually throwing a cross into the Gulf of Mexico.
The cross was grabbed within seconds by James Vasilaros, one of 53 teenage divers waiting to retrieve it in the highlight of an annual ritual that draws tens of thousands to Tarpon Springs, a few miles northwest of Tampa.
Epiphany in some Eastern churches commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River; in Western churches it marks the visit of the three kings to the Christ child.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
