In pictures: Christians across Europe celebrate Epiphany
Euronews
·2-min read
Epiphany, celebrated on 6 January, marks the day when the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
It's a Christian holiday that honours this event and represents the revelation of Jesus Christ.
But the day also marks the end of Christmas for many, though celebrations take place on different days depending on the country.
In Romania, Epiphany Day happens on 6 January and is celebrated with various regional traditions and customs.
Girls put basil under their pillows to dream of their future husbands whilst boys swim in a race to grab a cross thrown by a priest into the water.
Some in Ukraine also mark the day by swimming in icy lakes and rivers. Water that is blessed by a cleric on Epiphany is considered holy and pure until next year's celebration. It is believed to have special powers of protection and healing.
In Spain, thousands take to the streets to watch parades, known in Spanish as "Cabalgata".
The holiday comes under a different name, Three Kings Day, and is celebrated on the evening of 5 January.
Swimmers hold a wooden cross they retrieved from the Danube river during Epiphany celebrations in Facaieni, eastern Romania, Jan 6 2024. - Andreea Alexandru/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved.
The Three Kings of The Cabalgata Los Reyes Magos (Cavalcade of the three kings) gesture to people during the cavalcade, the day before Epiphany, in Pamplona, Spain. - Alvaro Barrientos/Copyright 2019 The AP. All rights reserved
People compete in a horse race during Epiphany celebrations in the village of Pietrosani, Romania, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. - Andreea Alexandru/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.
the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, blesses water during a traditional Epiphany celebration in Kyiv, Ukraine. - Efrem Lukatsky/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved
A man gestures in icy water of the Dnipro, during a traditional Epiphany celebration in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. - Efrem Lukatsky/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved
Men play bagpipes and drums as they wade into the cold Tundzha River to celebrate Epiphany, in the town of Kalofer, Bulgaria, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. - Valentina Petrova/Valentina Petrova
People parade through the streets as part of celebrations of Three Kings Day in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. - Mindaugas Kulbis/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.
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