Theofania celebrations kicked off in Rye and Frankston, Victoria, yesterday with thousands of people there to commemorate the baptism of Jesus through the annual blessing of the water celebrations.

17-year-old Leonidas Kikiris, of Altona Meadows, was the lucky winner in Frankston, where Bishop Iakovos, and Fr Doukas of the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Theofania in Frankston, blessed the waters.

In Rye, 19-year-old Alexandros Saisanos, of Oakleigh, pulled the cross out of the water to receive a special blessing from the Fr Tatsis of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Kamariani in Red Hill.

The Blessing of the water celebrations are an annual event for followers of the Greek Orthodox faith. Every year on and around January 6, the church follows through with the Blessing of the water ceremony. After the divine liturgy, the church leaders and members of the church all visit a local beach, or pool of water, where the priest blesses the water by casting a cross into the water. Young men then dive into the water to retrieve the cross and the lucky one returns to the priest for a special blessing. People also take some of the water home to bless their house, their garden and in some cases they drink the water.