Tarpon Springs gears up for 120th annual Epiphany Day

Tarpon Springs prepares for Epiphany Day celebration

The 120th annual Greek Orthodox Epiphany Day will soon be underway in Tarpon Springs — commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ by St. John the Baptist.  The ceremony celebrates faith, family and tradition. FOX 13's Heather Healy reports.

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - It’s an event that’s rich in history and tradition. The 120th annual Greek Orthodox Epiphany Day in Tarpon Springs — commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ by St. John the Baptist.  The ceremony celebrates faith, family and tradition.

The backstory:

"This is a ceremony that's been going on for more than hundreds of years in Greece. And the Greek settlers that came here to Tarpon Springs at the very turn of the 20th century maintained that tradition of blessing, doing the blessing and having the boys dive for the cross," John Koulianos, mayor of Tarpon Springs, said.

Tarpon Springs is gearing up for the Blessing of the Spring Bayou by putting the dinghies in their place for the big dive on Tuesday.

"That's the best thing about this Epiphany is that I can have my faith in diving in the water. It's a renewal. It's blessing. So, as long as I can keep doing that," diver George Vantsouris said.

With 74 divers, the largest ever to dive for the cross, some seasoned swimmers are looking forward to making their mark.

What they're saying:

"It goes by in a snap, but now, I’ve got to leave space for the next generation," fellow diver John Lias said.

"You learn as you go. And being a part for the third time, honestly, I think I can be more prepared a little bit. And I know where to actually go under and stuff. But at the end of the day, I feel like, you know, it's by chance, like there's not much you could do. It's just, he throws it in, you go under, you try your best," diver Christian Prangikos said.

MORE NEWS: Daytime clubbing comes to Tampa: party early, sleep later

Some newer divers are looking forward to becoming part of history.

"It means so much. I mean, you have 74 completely different people, athletes, academics, artists, musicians, and we all share our Greek faith, our Greek heritage, and our Orthodox faith. And it's such a beautiful, beautiful thing to come here and just be that person and be involved in that community and come here to celebrate 120 years of diving for the cross," first-time diver Kostas Saravanos said.

For as long as I remember while watching these young men dive in the bayou, I feel beyond blessed to be a part of the tradition myself now. I've always wanted to do it and now that I really get to, I feel like we're all part of one big family being able to do this together. It's a blessing," fellow first-time diver Demetrios Thomas said.

FOX 13 will have this event covered all day long on Tuesday, Jan. 6. 

For more information, click here.