Where is the cross? or celebration of Baptism of Jesus Christ – Vodici

On the 19th of January Orthodoxes celebrated the Baptism of Jesus Christ, Vodici, called also “Bogojavlenie” which is celebrated for more than 2000 years. Celebration of this day is performed by a unique (and funny) ceremony of throwing the cross into the waters of a lake or river, what symbolizes an unification of the human with Jesus Christ.  In Struga to the river of Crn Drim (Black Drim).

During this unique event, the waters of the lake are being baptized by the high priest (Archbishop of Ohrid – Stefan) by throwing the cross into the water, but the real attraction is the people jumping into the cold waters of the lake trying to find the cross! The dare-devil who finds it is believed to be blessed for the whole of next year and becomes a kind of local hero.
This year the winner won also a laptop. After all, all the shaking because of coldness, freezed competitors are served with hot rakija to warm them up (and all the others too).
Reportedly, last years in Struga, the cross once got lost in the water depths, other time was broken…fortunately this year nothing bad happened.

 

The unsinkable church in Mavrovo

The local people say that, God and Saints don't allow to complete disappearance this church in the lake. The phenomenon of its constant emerging from the water, villagers explain by "impossibility of immersion and oblivion of a sacred place".

The church was built by villagers in 1850. However, when in 1953 the dam was built to create a water power station, was decided that the church will be flooded. The rivers of Mavrovo and Radika slowly started to fill the valley, after some time the ceiling collapsed, but the church still standed.

Curiously enought, in the winter 1956, the valley was covered by a huge avalanche, killing 52 workers constructing the power plant. In the last time, the level of water in the lake slightly decreased, so it's possible to enter inside the church, which was usually covered at least to 1/3 of its height.