Epiphany in Florina

The last celebration of the twelve-day period, which begins on Christmas Eve, is Epiphany. The main element of the Feast of the Epiphany, to which most of the customs are connected, is the consecration of the waters. It takes place for the first time on the eve of the church and is called protayasi, enlightenment, first holy water or small holy water. Similarly, the day of the feast is also called Holoφωta or Aγιασι.
In Florina, on the day of Theophania, after the established praise service in the Metropolis of Agios Panteleimon, the consecration of the waters in the river takes place at the bridge of Agios Panteleimon, where the ecclesiastical, political and military leadership and a large number of believers watch the immersion of the Holy Cross in the icy waters of the Sakuleva.
The eve of Epiphany is considered a fasting day and on that day young people plunge into the icy waters of the river to catch the cross and consecrate the waters. In the Church of St. Nicholas, after 1961 and for many years the pool in the Agricultural School of Florina was the place where the consecration of the water was performed. Today a special area with a platform has been created on the river behind the Church of St. Nicholas. This particular ceremony preceded the ceremony of St. Panteleimon, so that the faithful could catch up with the ceremony of St. Panteleimon.
The people of Florina keep the holy water throughout the year and sprinkle it on their homes for a good year, full of health, fruitfulness and bliss and away from any evil.