In the ethnic village "Vrhpolje" near Ljubovija, the traditional 18th Epiphany was held swimming for the Holy Cross, which gathered a record number of participants. The organizers of the event were the Church Municipality of Vrhpolje, Ethno village "Vrhpolje" and Rafting club "Drinska regatta".



The event started with the Epiphany litany, which started at 12:00 p.m. from the Temple of the Holy Prophet Jeremiah in Vrhpolje. This year, 82 participants swam in the icy Drina. The winner of this year's swimming is Jovan Mitrović, a nine-year-old boy from Ljubovija, who was also the youngest participant. She won second place Silvija Živković from Ljubovija, while Đurđina Gligorić from Krupanj finished third. Already traditional The holy cross for which he swims in Vrhpolje is a gift from Radivoje Filipović Laki from Požega.
It's happening the president of the municipality of Ljubovija, Milan Jovanović, also attended, who emphasized the importance of this event for the local community.
- I have the honor to greet you all on behalf of the municipality of Ljubovija and on my own behalf today I will be here with you. All attendance records and registered participants were broken. Many thanks for today we owe the gathering to our organizers. Such events preserve history, nurture tradition and call us to unity which we really need at this moment. Once again, congratulations to all participants and happy holidays - said Jovanović.



Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 19, is one of the biggest Christian holidays. On this day, believers remember baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, when, according to tradition, the sky opened and the Holy Spirit descended on the Son of God in the form dove, while the voice of God the Father was heard.
Swimming for the Holy Cross symbolizes Christ's victory over evil and sin, but also strength of faith, community and spiritual purity. In Serbia, this custom has become not only religious, but also a significant traditional one manifestation, which gathers a large number of people from all over the country.
Epiphany swimming in Ljubovija has become a symbol of faith, tradition and community, and this year's manifestation is proof that interest in this event is constant is growing.