With all solemnity and splendor, Ayia Napa celebrated the Holy Epiphany with a divine service at the Holy Church of Panagia Ayia Napa and the ceremony of immersing the Holy Cross in the picturesque harbor of the city.
The divine service was celebrated under the auspices of His Holiness Metropolitan of Constantia and Famagusta, Mr. Vasiliou, in the presence of the President of the House of Representatives, Ms. Annita Demetriou, Members of Parliament, the Authorities and local bodies of the city, representatives of the National Guard, the Police, and the Fire Department.
After the Divine Liturgy and the Great Blessing, a procession was formed towards the harbor of Ayia Napa for the ceremony of immersion of the Holy Cross. The procession was accompanied by a detachment of the National Guard and the Ayia Napa Band. The procession was led by the Metropolitan, supported by the city's clergy, officials and citizens.
The Holy Cross was then immersed in the sea, in the presence of a large crowd. Many volunteers dived into the waters to retrieve the Cross, as required by the custom of Epiphany. The first to retrieve the Holy Cross was Konstantinos Mavroudis, who was honored with a gold cross. The second and third swimmers, Marios Koufopavlou and Angelos Refatlaris, were awarded white gold crosses, while the remaining participating swimmers received silver crosses.
The awarding of the crosses was carried out by the President of the House of Representatives, Ms. Annita Dimitriou, the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Mr. Christos Zannetou, and the Deputy Mayor of the Ayia Napa Municipal District, Mr. Antonis Christou.
His Holiness Metropolitan of Constantia and Famagusta, Mr. Vasilios, wished the entire Cypriot people, on this day of the Great Epiphany, that this is, as he said, “the renewal of our own baptism.” As he stated, “in addition to the spiritual rebirth of man, we also need a rebaptism of our enslaved homeland,” expressing the wish that the Epiphany service will soon be able to be celebrated not only in free Cyprus, but also in occupied Famagusta, as well as in all the occupied areas of our country, so that the grace of the Holy Spirit may shine throughout the world.
At the same time, he emphasized that we should not get lost in everyday life, but keep alive within us the desire and struggle for the freedom of our homeland, and wished everyone a "Happy Birthday."
In her statements, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ms. Annita Demetriou, wished everyone a Happy Enlightenment of souls and the redemption of our homeland, noting that this is everyone's wish for another year. She added that she was particularly pleased to be in Ayia Napa, thanking the Mayor for the invitation, and underlined the importance of presence and collective participation in the celebration of this blessed day.
For his part, the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Mr. Christos Zannetou, wished everyone a Happy New Year, warmly thanking those who honored this great celebration with their presence, and especially the President of the House of Representatives. As he stated, everyone's wish is that 2026 will be the year of reunification of our homeland, so that Epiphany can be celebrated throughout the Metropolitan Municipality.
In the specially designed area of the Port, an artistic program was presented by the Folklore Club of the Ayia Napa Municipal District "Toumpezia", during which the Speaker of the Parliament danced a syrto dance along with the dancers of the Club.
