Today, the Orthodox believers in Durrës celebrated the Day of the Holy Water, one of the most important events of the church calendar.

The ceremony started at 10:00 a.m., when believers gathered in the city’s Orthodox Church to perform religious rituals. After the church rites, they organized a march towards the Port of Durrës, where the most special part of the ceremony took place.

In the port, hundreds of citizens have gathered to follow the tradition of throwing the cross into the sea. Young people from Durrës have competed to catch the holy cross, which is thrown into the sea by a priest. This ritual has attracted a multitude of citizens, even though the atmospheric conditions have been difficult, with low temperatures and cold waters.

In order to ensure the development of the race without incident, the authorities have taken strict security measures, with an increased presence of vessels and support personnel. This has guaranteed a safe environment for young people who braved the cold waters of the sea to follow this spiritual and symbolic tradition.

Vasil Aleksi, 18 years old, is the winner of this competition to capture the Holy Cross. After a competition among five other young people, Vasil managed to capture the cross for the second time in three years of participation. He has stated that the first time he caught the cross brought him luck and prosperity, which has led him to compete every year and repeat this sacred tradition.