TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. -- The Blessing of the Fleet was held in Tarpon Springs on Sunday ahead of Monday's Epiphany.
- Blessing of the Fleet held in Tarpon Springs
- Sponge boats, divers are blessed
- More information on Epiphany
- RELATED: Epiphany 2020: Centuries-Old Celebration With Its Own Tarpon Springs Style
It's held every year before the Epiphany celebration. The ceremony blesses the sponge boats and divers, and remembers the sponge divers who lost their lives.
The 57 young men who will dive for the cross were also blessed. Then Father Athanasios C. Haros blessed each boat and business along the sponge docks.
Taso Karistinos was one of the sponge divers who had his boat blessed.
"It’s special for all of us. Special for the divers and the diving boats," said Karistinos.
Karistinos says the entire Tarpon Springs community looks forward to Epiphany.
“It means a lot of everybody. Not just for the sponge boats but for the whole community, the shops, the restaurants, for the Greeks in Tarpon Springs.”
On Monday, young Greek boys will dive into the bayou to attempt to retrieve a cross thrown into the water by the archbishop. The act signifies Jesus' going into the river Jordan and the retriever is said to have a year of good luck.
The Blessing of Tarpon Springs is scheduled for Monday. Spectrum Bay News 9 will have full coverage on air and online.