Epiphany Traditions Abound In

Greece

Many Christians around the world annually celebrate

Epiphany on January 6. It is a public holiday in many
countries and marks two events in Jesus Christs life,
according to the Christian Bible. The first event was
when the three wise men, or kings, visited infant
Jesus. The second event was when St John the Baptist
baptized Jesus.

Epiphany in Greece is known as Theofania or Fota.

The first sanctification of the Epiphany (The
Enlightenment) takes place in church on the eve of the

holiday. Afterwards, the priest goes from house to

house holding a cross and a basil branch. As he walks
through each house, he uses the basil to sprinkle
(bless) all the areas of the home.
Customs and traditions dating back to ancient times
will come once again to life on Jan. 6 during the
Theofania (also Epiphany or Fota) celebration taking
place across Greece. Religious sentiment meets
exhilaration and joy for the day commemorating the
baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, according
to the Orthodox Church, and the banishing of the
mischievous Kalikantzaroi (goblins) back to the hollow
earth for another year round, according to popular
belief.

In all Greek cities and villages the priests bless the

waters with the Holy Cross on that day, while many

brave swimmers jump into the icy sea or river waters

despite the cold weather to catch the Cross and get the
priests blessing for the year. However, the benediction
of the waters is not the only tradition coming alive in
modern day Greece.

ne of the main traditions of the Epiphany holiday is

the Kalanda (carols) sung by children on Epiphanys
Eve over sweets or a small amount of money. From
the numerous versions of the Kalanda only those sung
on Patmos island retain their original and fully
oriented religious character. These Kalanda begin with
the creation of the world, the creation of waters by
God, and finally end with the day of Jesus Christs

Baptism in the Jordan river by John the Baptist.

Across Thessalia, on Epiphanys Eve the Rougkatsia

(also Rougkatsaria) are the main attraction of the
holiday with groups of 10 to 15 persons dressed up in
costumes, wandering from house to house singing the
celebrating carols and hoping for a small amount of
money in return. Every group must definitely feature a
groom and bride (a young man dressed as a woman),
priest, grandfather, doctor and the arkoudiarides
(owners of bears that made the animals dance for the
publics entertainment in Greek rural areas since
1970).

People in Kastoria and Kozani have a similar tradition

called the Ragkoutsaria. People put on their symbolic
and scary painted masks in order to exorcise the evil
spirits from the city. The masked men beg from
passersby for their rewards for casting the evil spirits
away. The same custom is also found in villages near
the city of Drama, northeastern Greece.

There it is called the rokatzaria and people wear scary

masks and make deafening noises with the bells they
are carrying while walking around. In other villages
near Drama and Kavala, the traditions of arapides
(black men) revives with men wearing sheepskin and
dozens of bells. It is said that the arapides were

warriors that took part in Alexander the Greats wars

and helped him scare away the Indian elephants in
battle with the thundering sounds they made.

Another version of the ragkoutsaria are the Pontian

Momogeroi, a traditional celebration taking place the
week before the new year. Each participant is dressed
up with a certain costume typical of the Pontian
culture and way of life.
In the peninsula of Halkidiki, northern Greece, the
Fotarades custom is praised each year. The king is
dressed in the talagani (the traditional cape worn by
shepherds) and many bells and leads the dance, while
the fotarades are bearing their swords made of wood
to deter anyone from attempting to steal the sausage

placed in the middle of the circle. On Epihanys Eve,

young men sing the Kalanda and get meat, sausages
and money in return, while on Jan. 7 (celebration of
John the Baptist) they dance traditional dances in the
villages square.