site.btaOver 100 Brave Icy Tundzha River in Kalofer for Traditional Horo Dance on Epiphany
Hundreds of men took part in the traditional horo chain dance in the cold waters of the Tundzha River in Kalofer on Monday.
The religious ritual is part of Epiphany, which is locally known as "Yordanovden" (the Day of the Jordan River) and celebrated across Bulgaria on January 6.
In Kalofer, the ceremony began with a solemn holy liturgy held in the Church of Saint Archangel Michael. After the liturgy, the men headed to Tundzha River in a procession, where the cross and the river were blessed. The first men to enter the frozen water broke the ice, and then the traditional procession in the river began. The cross was thrown from the bridge and saved by one of the men, after which it was handed over to the youngest participant, the 3-year-old Miroslav.
As recovering the cross is considered a sign of good luck and health, local people in Kalofer believe that the participants of the river horo will be healthy all year round.
The Epiphany ritual is performed across Bulgaria and thousands of men jump to retrieve the cross in the sea, in rivers, lakes or even swimming pools.
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