Religion

Today, after Epiphany, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Council of St. Prophet John the Forerunner and Baptist. The day is popular as Ivanovden in Bulgaria (Ivan's Day) and is among the holidays with the largest number people who have a name day in our country - over 347 thousand.

Greeks celebrated Epiphany Friday with blessing of the waters ceremonies across the country.

The holiday is known as Three Kings Day for Catholics and the Baptism of Christ for the Orthodox. Greece is predominantly Orthodox.

The President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Friday visited the island of Lemnos for the celebration of Epiphany.

PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis met on Friday with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios at Phanar.

The Israeli police on Friday arrested two teenagers who they said vandalized over two dozen Christian graves in a historic Jerusalem cemetery earlier this week.

An orthodox faithful catches a wooden crucifix during Epiphany day celebrations in Piraeus near Athens, Friday. Epiphany marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas, but not all Orthodox Christian churches celebrate it on the same day.
[Louiza Vradi/Reuters]

On January 6, Bulgarians celebrate Epiphany or St. Jordan's Day (Yordanovden) - one of the biggest Christian holidays in the Bulgarian calendar.

Israel's national security minister's "provocative action" against Al-Aqsa Mosque is "unacceptable," Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told his Israeli counterpart in a telephone call, the Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 4.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu held a phone conversation with the minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Jan. 3 and discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan and the raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America paid tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Monday, extolling his efforts for dialogue with the Orthodox Church.