18-Year-Old Athos Keristinos Retrieves Cross at 120th Tarpon Springs Epiphany Celebration

Tarpon Springs Epiphany Celebration

• 🎯 The 120th annual Epiphany Day celebration in Tarpon Springs drew tens of thousands of people to the Spring Bayou.
• 🕊️ The event is a significant tradition in the Tampa Bay area, marked by prayer and the release of a dove.

The Ceremonial Cross Dive

• 🏊‍♂️ Over 70 young men from the Greek Orthodox community participated in the race to retrieve the Epiphany cross from the water.
• 🌊 The highlight of the celebration is the dive, where participants compete to find the cross, symbolizing a year of blessings.

Athos Keristinos: The Cross Retriever

• 🏅 18-year-old Athos Keristinos successfully found the cross, describing the moment he saw its glow and grabbed it.
• 🗣️ His family and fellow divers expressed immense pride and joy, shouting "worthy" in Greek upon his success.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Athos is the latest in his family to retrieve the cross, following his father, uncle, and cousins, continuing a significant family tradition.

Meaning and Tradition

• 🙏 The Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus, and the retrieval of the cross is believed to bring a year of good fortune to the finder.
• 💧 Athos shared that growing up on the water was his only preparation, emphasizing the deep personal meaning and blessing the tradition holds for him.