The Epiphany was celebrated today in all the holy temples of free Cyprus and in some churches of the occupied north.

The official celebration took place near the Cypriot NAVY base of Zygi, where the Archbishop Chrysostomos performed the divine service in the presence of Cyprus President Nikos Anastasiadis.

It followed, the sanctification of the waters and the diving of the Holy Cross in the Zygios Fishery Reserve.

Speaking after the water sanctification ceremony, President Anastasiades wished in 2018 to be a time of peace and creativity. “For our part, we will try, in a climate of consensus and creativity, to do what is humanly possible to have better days for everyone”, Mr. Anastasiades said.

On the other hand, the Archbishop of Cyprus stated that the better days depend not only on the government but also on the people. “We must all work in this direction with unity, love and brotherhood, and then God will bless us so that we have a good solution to the Cyprus problem”, said Archbishop Chrysostomos.

Theophania was also celebrated in the occupied town of Famagusta. The Divine Liturgy and the Great Sanctification of the Epiphany took place in the Holy Temple of St. George Exorinos, in the Turkish-Cypriot quarter of Famagusta. The Holy Cross’s diving ceremony and the sanctification of the waters followed on the “Glossa” beach, where the ceremony was traditionally held prior to the Turkish invasion.

Many believers from the free and occupied areas attended the Liturgy of the Epiphany in the occupied Agia Triada. The sanctification of the waters took place in the bay of Agios Thyrsos in nearby Yialousa.