“Good morning and Happy Epiphany, the Morning Star comes first” – the Cypriot traditional phrase deeply rooted in Cypriot tradition, directly linked to the celebration of Epiphany (Theophany) on January 6th. “Ta Fota” (The Lights) is one of the most significant feasts of Orthodoxy, marking the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and the return to normalcy after the holidays.
The Epiphany feast honors the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and the revelation of the Holy Trinity. At the center of the celebration is the Great Blessing of Waters, with the throwing of the Holy Cross into seas, rivers, and dams, attended by believers.
“Today is the Lights and illumination / and great joy and sanctification…”
In Cyprus, the day of Lights is accompanied by strong folk elements. The phrase “today the Lights, the poulountzia first” captures the belief that with the blessing of waters, the holiday period ends and all “impure” elements are removed, according to folk tradition. From this day, general cleaning begins in homes, and daily routine resumes.
Simultaneously, according to tradition, with the Lights “leave” also the goblins, who were believed to appear during the Twelve Days. The blessing is considered to protect homes, fields, and people for the entire year.
The Epiphany remains a celebration with strong religious and social significance today, connecting Christian faith with customs and collective memory of the place. The immersion of the Holy Cross during Epiphany celebrations is believed to give purifying and healing properties to water. In many areas of Greece, immediately after the blessing of waters, residents rush to beaches, rivers, and lakes to wash agricultural tools, household utensils, even sacred icons, believing that this renews their blessing and protective power.
According to popular belief, even icons over time lose part of their spiritual power, which they regain through blessed water. This practice is seen by folklorists as a survival of ancient rituals, particularly Athens’ “Plynteria” festival where Athena’s statue was taken in procession to Phaleron and washed with seawater to cleanse it from impurities and renew its sacred powers.
Similar customs survive today. A characteristic example is in Plaka of Mytilene where during Cross immersion women collect “silent water” from the sea symbolically from “forty waves.” With cotton they clean icons silently then pour water in a place not stepped on, usually at church’s drain.
The folk events in Eastern Macedonia are particularly interesting. In Drama, Epiphany is accompanied by customs aimed at ensuring a good year, health, and land fertility. Masks, bells, animal skins, ash dances processions plowing sowing reenactments create an intense worshipful symbolic scene.
The custom of Arapides revives in Monastiraki Drama, rooted in ancient Dionysian rituals with strong Christian influences. This custom is also found in villages like Volakas Petrousa Xirotopamos as well as Nikisiani Kavala. In Kastoria “Ragoutsaria” revives where disguises serve as symbolic means to ward off evil. In Chalkidiki Epiphany accompanies Camel events in Galatista Fotarades in Palaiochori while Ermioni Argolida revives “yala-yala” custom involving young men about to enlist decorating fishing boats.
Finally in Lefkada “orange custom” observed, where believers dip tied oranges into sea keeping them at home shrine as blessing for whole year.
