Thousands gathered in chilly conditions Monday for the 108th Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs.
About 44 young men dove for the cross in 62-degree water in the Spring Bayou, with 18-year-old Peter Smith of Ellenton emerging from the water with the coveted cross.
The young man who finds the cross is said to be blessed with a year of good luck.
The festivities began early Monday as Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, arrived at St. Nicholas around 8:30 a.m. Church bells at the domed cathedral downtown pealed to announce his arrival.
The cross throw took place just before 1 p.m.
Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian festivals, marking both the coming of the three Wise Men bearing gifts to the baby Jesus and the baptism of Jesus Christ in the river Jordan by John the Baptist.
Organizers say the annual event has a special meaning for the boy who comes up with the cross.
Today marks the 108th celebration of the Epiphany in Tarpon Springs.