Τarpon Springs celebrates the 112th edition of the Feast of the Epiphany celebration
TARPON SPRINGS – The 112th edition of Tarpon Springs’ Feast Day of the Epiphany was unusual in many ways. Below-normal temperatures forced parishioners to seek the warmth of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church as well as the few establishments that were open early Saturday morning, including Tulo’s Café on the Pinellas Trail.
Other anomalies included a shorter than usual parade procession following the late Mass because the Tarpon Springs High School band did not participate this year, increased security measures for the event in the wake of the recent church shootings, and Bishop Alexios Panagiotopoulos of Atlanta stepping in for Archbishop Demetrios, whose flight was canceled because of the inclement weather in the northeast.
Throw in some last-minute snags, such as one of the 55 teens chosen to dive for the cross in Spring Bayou not receiving the designated white Epiphany 2018 T-shirt until minutes before the late service began, and another having to drop out after he woke up with flulike symptoms, and it made for an unusual start to the city’s daylong celebration.
“My oldest son, Stephen, woke up this morning sick as a dog, so unfortunately he’s not going to be able to dive this year,” Matt Whyte of Bradenton explained. “It was going to be his third time and he was so excited because he knew where to stand and when to jump. There’s a lot of prep that goes into it, a lot of hard work. He had been looking forward to this for years, the only chance to dive with his younger brother, James. But that’s the way life goes sometimes.”
Cold weather doesn’t dampen spirits
Despite the cold temperatures and unforeseen circumstances, nothing could dampen the spirit of the event, which is considered the largest of its kind in the world, drawing Greek Orthodox Catholics from all over the state and the entire country.
“This is a good turnout, all things considered,” diver committee member Michael Kouskoutis said after he gave the teenagers their last-minute instructions, which included removing all jewelry and cellphones and being aware of the low tide in the bayou. “We’ve had numbers as low as in the 40s and as high as the 70s, so 55, considering the cold and other factors, is a good showing.”
As the early morning chill — temperatures were in the low 40s before the 8 a.m. service — began to thaw, the late Mass got underway at around 10 a.m., and, as usual, it was standing-room only inside the ornately decorated cathedral.
After the 90-minute service, the boys, all between the ages of 13-18 who were chosen for the honor of retrieving the cross following a stringent selection process, lined up outside the church for the procession to the dock.
There, Catherine Mitseas cheered for her son, Dean, who missed the orientation session earlier in the week and did not receive his T-shirt until the morning of the event.
“I’m proud of his courage and willingness to be part of something significant like this. And to face this weather!” she said. “These boys don’t have to do this. They do it because they want to and because they love their religion and the camaraderie that comes with being part of the group. It’s a rite of passage and I couldn’t be more proud of him for doing it.”
The 17-year-old Mitseas, a senior at Strawberry Crest High School in Tampa, took the blame for not having received his shirt beforehand.
“This is my second time doing this and the first time I was in charge of everything and I screwed up,” he admitted. “But I got it all squared away and I’m here and ready to go.”
Asked how he felt about his chances for recovering the cross, Mitseas was realistic.
“About 1 in 60,” he said, noting last year he managed to get in the photograph with the winning diver, Tarpon Springs native Joseph Cooley.
Unfortunately, the shallow waters preempted Mitseas’ attempt as soon as it started. After the Bishop blessed the water and gave the word for the divers to enter, he landed awkwardly in the water and had to immediately be pulled from the bay.
Once it was determined Mitseas didn’t need medical attention, the ceremony continued.
Two minutes, one cross and plenty of tears
Dove bearer Kiersten Spanos, a 15-year-old TSHS student, released the white bird, which is the representation of the Holy Spirit, and Bishop Alexios said his final words of prayer before the cross was tossed into the crescent-shaped area as bystanders lined every available inch of grass and concrete, hoping to get a glimpse of the annual tradition.
Within two minutes of the cross — and 55 teenage boys — going into the water, a hand emerged from the icy depths clutching the T-shaped religious symbol tightly.
Christosomos “Christian” Chrysakis, an 18-year-old Tarpon Springs High student, was the one who came up with the cross, a ritual that is said to bring good luck to the finder for the next year.
As the senior was surrounded by his fellow divers, he was overcome with emotion, clutching the cross and hugging his friends while not trying to hold back his tears of joy.
“This is unbelievable,” Chrysakis said as he was carried back to the church on the backs of his fellow divers. “I don’t know what to say right now. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
At the church, Christian and his family received well-wishes from dozens of people as the Epiphany Glendi, a festival featuring music and dancing, food and drink, got underway in the courtyard next to the church.
As Christian took a few minutes to dry off and get changed for the ceremony, Emmanuel Chrysakis spoke about his son’s accomplishment.
“I’m very proud of him, very proud of all the divers,” he said, adding, “I’m sure he’ll be on Cloud 9 for a few days. It was a great blessing.”
Asked about his retrieving the cross on what was his third and final year attempting to do so, Emmanuel Chrysakis said it was meant to be.
“It was all in God’s eyes,” he said. “If it was meant to be, it was meant to be, and I guess this year it was meant to be.”
