On 6 January, Christians celebrate the Feast of the Blessed Water, also known as Epiphany

The Church also calls the feast Theophany. The term means the manifestation of God. The celebration focuses on the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah of Israel and the divine Son of God. He appears as one of the Holy Trinity, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The central element of Epiphany is the Great Blessing of the Water. Clergy perform the ritual twice. First, they bless the water on the eve of Epiphany, after the Liturgy of Saint Basil. Then, they repeat the blessing on the feast day itself. The service begins with special hymns and the censing of the water placed in the centre of the church.

The Feast of the Blessed Water commemorates the Baptism of Christ. Orthodox believers mark the day through the ritual of casting the cross into water. Faithful then retrieve the cross. The act symbolises spiritual cleansing and enlightenment.

In many places, priests bless the water in the sea, rivers, lakes, or ponds. When this is not possible, the blessing takes place inside the church.

Meanwhile, Western Christians celebrate Epiphany with special sweets. Often, children receive small gifts in their stockings. These gifts recall the offerings brought by the Three Kings to the infant Jesus. The feast also includes water-related traditions. They remember the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and include the blessing of homes with holy water.

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