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Seeking the Cross: Icy Dips Mark the Feast of Epiphany

   SOFIA - Thousands of Orthodox Christian worshippers plunged into the
   icy waters of rivers and lakes across Bulgaria on Monday to retrieve
   crucifixes tossed by priests in Epiphany ceremonies commemorating the
   baptism of Jesus Christ.
   By tradition, the person who retrieves the wooden cross will be freed
   from evil spirits and will be healthy throughout the year. After the
   cross is fished out, the priest sprinkles believers with water using a
   bunch of basil.
   The religious holiday of Epiphany is also celebrated in some Western
   Christian churches as Three Kings Day, which marks the visit of the
   Magi, or three wise men, to the baby Jesus, and closes out the
   Christmas season.

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