38-year-old Peter Papadakos, of Northcote, was the lucky man who grabbed the cross from the waters in Port Melbourne’s Theofania celebrations last Sunday in Port Melbourne. The blessing of the water ceremony, conducted by Bishop Ezekiel and Bishop Iakovos, saw over 20 young men dive into the water at Port Melbourne to retrieve the cross with the first-timer Papadakos being the victor.

“I really didn’t expect it,” Papadakos told Neos Kosmos. “It was unbelievable, just as a I grabbed the cross the thought crossed my mind that this can’t be real. It’s something that you never think would happen to you, especially seeing as it was my first time.”

Politicians Nicholas Kotsiras, Jenny Mikakos, Maria Vamvakinou and Senator Scott Ryan were there to join in the ceremony of the blessing of the waters as well as many distinguished guests in the Greek community. Although the crowd was into the thousands, it was a definite drop from previous years. Port Melbourne holds a special place for the first Greek migrants as many docked in the ports in the ’50s and ’60s when first arriving in Australia.

In Adelaide, the rain before the celebrations thankfully subsided for the throwing of the cross in Glenelg and Henley beaches.

Over 1000 witnessed the blessing of the water ceremony in Glenelg. Yanni Frazis, 15, of Plympton, was the lucky one out of around 30 young men to brave the strong winds and retrieve the cross that was thrown into the water by Bishop Nikandros. Federal MP Steve Georganas attended the ceremony at Glenelg, emphasising the importance of this ceremony to followers of the Greek Orthodox faith.

“It’s important for us in Australia to continue to celebrate the days, because even though it’s a religious day it connects us to our Hellenicism,” Mr Georganas told Neos Kosmos. “No matter where Greeks are on the day of the Theofania, all around the world – whether they are in New York on the icy rivers of the Hudson, or on the harbours of Pireas in Athens or in Chicago’s great lakes where it was minus four the other day and men where swimming for the cross, it’s a real significant event.”

1000 people also lined the jetty at Henley Beach to see 25-year-old Foti Likouras of North Adelaide retrieve the cross.