(6 Jan 2013)
1. Priests arriving for traditional Epiphany ritual
2. Wide pan of onlookers standing under umbrellas
3. Mid of priest chanting
4. Close pan of priest holding ribbon and throwing cross into water towards swimmers who try to catch it
5. Mid of swimmers embracing one another
6. Wide of people on moored boats lighting red flares
7. Father and son carrying cross while onlookers kiss it
8. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Angelos Dialigakos, retrieved cross with his son:
"This is the eleventh year we have done this, and we've caught the cross before. My son has started jumping in for the last nine years and today he caught the cross."
9. Mid of father putting sweater on his son
10. SOUNDBITE (Greek) George Dialigakos, 16-years-old, retrieved cross with his father:
"We come here to receive a blessing in these difficult times. That's all."
11. Wide of people in heavy winter coats and umbrellas watching festivities
STORYLINE:
Representatives of the Greek Church, local government officials and believers gathered in an Athens coastal suburb on Sunday to celebrate the Christian feast day of Epiphany.
Epiphany, or "The Blessing of the Waters", is held every year on 6 January and is a public holiday all over the country.
In the Greek Orthodox tradition, the Epiphany commemorates Christ's baptism in holy waters.
About 50 people gathered in Faliro to watch swimmers brave cold temperatures and choppy seas to retrieve a large gold cross from the chilly waters.
After grabbing the cross and returning it to the priest who has thrown it into the seas in the first place, the swimmers lined up to kiss the crucifix in his hands.
Swimmers believe good fortune will come their way when they participate in this custom.
This year, 16-year-old George Dialigakos retrieved the cross along with his father.
The pair have been participating in the custom since George was eight.
"We come to receive the blessing in these difficult times," he said.
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