Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach became a chilly location for a pious swim on Sunday.
Hundreds of Greek-Canadians from the Greater Vancouver area lined the beach to watch some brave swimmers do the front crawl to retrieve a sacred cross as part of a symbolic blessing related to Christ’s birth and baptism.
And while the swimming celebration of Christ’s baptism is held worldwide, the hardy swimmers at the Vancouver location were also thrilled to be part of an event that last occurred locally 32 years ago.
“This is reviving a tradition,” said Yanni Angelopoulos, 14, who had family standing by with a towel and warm clothes as he emerged from the ocean. “We look at this as a blessing.”
Aphrodite Koseos, 20, wearing a wetsuit for her swim, said she hopes to be part of an annual event. “It is really exciting bringing this back,” she said.
Apostoli Nicolinas, 13, said he was compelled to do the swim because of a long-standing family tradition. “It is fun, exciting,” he said. ”My dad and grandpa did it when they were young.”
As he sat shivering, Noah Skarsgard, 12, said it was worth getting wet and cold to take part in the spiritual awakening. “I like to meet with God,” he said. “He is the most important thing in the world and I did it for Him.”
Greek community elder Christos Papagiannis, 73, remembered a similar early January swim 32 years ago near Kits Beach.
“It is a Greek tradition,” he said. “The water is holy.”
He did note the Pacific Ocean is cold this time of year. “It is cold, but the kids don’t notice it,” he said.
“This is keeping our culture going,” said Papagiannis, who came to Canada in 1967.
Father Constantinos Economos of St. George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Vancouver helped with the oceanside religious ceremony and said they decided to use a wooden cross instead of a metal one as it would float.
“The cross dive is a very sacred dive of our church,” he said.
”God is to be shared in the currents of the ocean.”
And while the Theophany is actually celebrated on Jan. 6, he said they waited until Sunday so more people could participate.
