Friday, January 6/2023

 

January 6 is the Feast of the Epiphany and a major event in Cyprus. Used to being shuffled out of the way in the Western Church, conveniently folded in with the nearest Sunday in the Catholic Church (thus circumventing the need for a separate day of obligation) and scarcely mentioned by most Protestants, it is a major celebration in the Eastern Church and a civic holiday as well in Cyprus. And unlike in the Western Church the primary association with Epiphany is with the baptism of Jesus and not the visit of the wisemen. There is a theological link, but this blog not the place for it.

This is probably our 20th Epiphany in Cyprus and Larnaca is a festive place to be for it. Always hundreds of people down at the waterfront and a carnival atmosphere. Ice cream, cotton candy, balloons, games of chance with glitzy prizes, And this year a whole section of fairly impressive rides - merry-go-round, ferris wheel and more. 

Some difficulty ascertaining the time of the procession. All sources happy to announce that it leaves St Lazarus Church “after the service”  but no mention of what time the service begins let alone ends, and our pre covid memories slightly vague. So we decide that getting to the waterfront for around eleven should do it. And it does.

As we head for the waterfront we can see plenty of others on their way to the pier. They’re hoping for ringside seats for the drama of the blessing ceremony in which the bishop throws a cross (prudently tied to the end of a string) into the water and teenage boys or young men dive for the honour and blessing of retrieving it. Interestingly, the press has been quite happy to inform us that people will not be allowed in the water this year due to marina construction activity. “People” presumably not including the bishop’s divers, which is interesting as we’ve never seen anyone from the general public attempting to join them. And obviously not a restriction on swimming at the beach, which continues as usual.

We don’t intend to watch the dive this year but do want to see the procession, though we’re always somewhat scandalised by it. There’s an impressive looking marching band, and a drum with a somewhat funereal beat for the hesitation step. The cross is held high as is the Orthodox Church banner and the flag of Greece (though not Cyprus). The slightly shocking part, though, is not the flags but the rifles. And they don’t look particularly ceremonial when the soldiers bearing them are in battle dress. And then there are the cadets, some of them quite young. Children for whom militarism, nationalism and religion will be permanently fused.

There are benches along the walk, but they’re pretty well in the sun in the morning so we stop to pick up a couple of Mcdonald’s coffees to drink outside in the shade of the building. 

Perfect January weather. Probably 20 in the shade, though you do have to look for morning shade. Restaurants and cafés busy, most of them with some outdoor seating. Traffic has been blocked off so the whole beach area is open for strolling families. There are three freighters anchored in the bay for the holiday as well as a few private sailboats and at least one yacht. Lots of people on the beach, including a scattering of swimmers. And happily this is a Friday, the beginning of a long weekend.