Big crowds expected for Greek celebration

If you’re at Frankston Pier on January 6 and wondering why there are hundreds of people gathering, then you’re not part of the Greek community who know the gathering is for one of Greece’s holiest and most sacred celebrations, Blessing of the Waters.

This day marks the Christmas holidays in Greece officially coming to an end with the Festival of Light, also known as the Epiphany. The Epiphany ceremonies begin with a religious service at the church then parishioners walk together to their nearby pier. The Blessing of the Waters ceremony sees priests in ports around Greece and here in Frankston and Rye throw a Holy Cross into the sea, then parishioners jump into the water to retrieve the cross.

This year the Rev Father Doukas Georgalas, of the Greek Orthodox Parish Community in Frankston, will be joined by Archbishop Makarios from Sydney and Bishop Kyriakos from Melbourne to throw the cross from the pier. The person who retrieves the cross receives a blessing from Father Doukas and is given a gold cross necklace said to bring good luck for the year ahead.

Frankston was the first place in Australia to engage in the Christian ritual. The ceremony is usually also held at Rye Pier but won’t take place this year due to the pier reconstruction.