Thousands gathered to celebrate the Epiphany Greek Festival’s debut appearance at Sydney’s Carss Bush Park for the annual service of the Blessings of the Waters, with many hopeful it will become a permanent location moving forward.
The all-day festival took place on Sunday January 7th and bore witness to a huge congregation of Greek-Australians that indulged in various modes of entertainment, food and, chiefly the service of the Blessings of the Waters.
This service commenced at roughly 1 p.m. as Archbishop Makarios threw the Cross into the water for the nearly 100 swimmers to try to pick up.
The person who found the cross was Michael Solidakis, a local from the southern suburb of Kogarah.
Following this, the official program commenced with many officials in attendance that also gave speeches.
Archbishop Makarios expressed his joy for everyone’s attendance at the event, particularly given it was also the name day for Ioannis and Ioanna.
“This festival is truly a celebration not only of our Greek identity but also a testament to the enduring strength of our Orthodox faith,” his Eminence said in his speech.
“This is the key to our resilience and the motivation underpinning our commitment to preserving the eternal values that have sustained us for generations and are quite simply the cornerstone of which we have built our lives.”
Steve Kamper, the Minister for Multiculturalism, Small Business, Lands and Property, and for Sport, echoed the Archbishop’s sentiments on the significance of this event and the values it reminds us of.
“This wonderful tradition showcases bravery, faith and a connection to the divine and that was obvious today when you saw the young kids that were swimming for the cross…the way they all wanted to touch the cross after it was picked up, it really brought a tear to my eye,” Mr Kamper said, who was also representing the NSW Premier, Chris Minns.
Natalie Ward, a Member of the NSW Legislative Council, elaborated on her delight with the festival.
“As a former minister for multiculturalism, it gives me such joy to see the faith and the embodiment of our Greek community here celebrating today and to see the joy of the annual Epiphany Festival of the Holy Archdiocese and the service of the blessings of the waters,” Ms Ward said, who was also representing the Opposition Leader, Mark Speakman.
“It was beautiful to watch. I must admit I did feel like I wanted to dive into the water at one point. Maybe next year,”.
Other speeches were also given by Mr Ioannis Mallikourtis, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Stavros Nikolaou, the Deputy High Commissioner of Cyprus in Australia, and Sam Elmir, the Mayor of Georges River Council which Carss Bush Park is a part of.
Outside of the official service and program, the Festival also featured a plethora of dancing groups, tens of stalls selling food and other products, and plenty of music that was headlined by a live performance from Greek singer Stella Konitopoulou and her band.
The event was emceed by ex-City of Sydney Councillor Angela Vithoulkas.
