Tarpon Springs community gather for the 117th Epiphany celebration

HAVE CLINCHED SPOTS AND MONDAY’S GAME WOULD HAVE IMPACTED SEEDING FOR THE PLAYOFFS. 606, RIGHT NOW. AND HAPPENING TODAY, THE ANNUAL EPIPHANY CELEBRATION GETTING UNDERWAY IN JUST A FEW HOURS. THAT’S THE GREEK ORTHODOX COMMUNITY IN TARPON SPRINGS IS CELEBRATING THE 100 17TH YEAR OF THIS TRADITION. LET’S GET IT ON YOUR SIDE. XAVIER HARRIS JOINING US LIVE IN TARPON SPRINGS TODAY. GOING TO BE CHILLY FOR THOSE DIAPERS AND OH, YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. I’M DEFINITELY FEELING THAT CHILL OUT HERE RIGHT SAID MOMENTS AGO THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD THINK ABOUT ASKING ONE OF THE

DIVERS. I’M JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, I IT’S REALLY CHILLY OUT HERE. SO ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THAT? BUT, YOU KNOW, IT’S CHILLY. IT’S MORNING. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE ALREADY GETTING STARTED THIS MORNING. ALREADY SEEN FOLKS COMING OUT PREPARING. I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK BEHIND ME HERE AT THE SPRING BY YOU. THIS IS JUST THE AREA WHERE ALL OF THAT ACTION WILL HAPPEN. WHERE OVER 60 YOUNG MEN WILL TAKE PLACE IN JUMPING IN AND GETTING THAT CROSS. NOW, THE CELEBRATION CENTERS AROUND THE BAPTISM OF JESUS. NOW, ACCORDING TO THE EVENT’S WEBSITE, THE PERIOD BETWEEN

CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY IS CONSIDER ONE CONTINUOUS FESTIVE PERIOD AND IS WHERE THE TERM 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COMES FROM. NOW, THIS EVENT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE CAN ENJOY. THE

EVENT TYPICALLY STARTS OFF WITH A CHURCH GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH. AFTER THE SERVICE. THERE WILL BE A PROCESSIONAL THAT WILL HIT HERE TO THIS SPRING BY YOU. AND THAT’S WHERE THE 68 YOUNG MEN WILL DIE FOR THE CROSS AND WHOEVER THE DIVER IS THAT FINDS ITS FIND. THAT CAUSE IS SAID TO HAVE A YEAR OF BLESSINGS TOWARD THEM. THE MOMENTS AGO WE GOT A CHANCE TO FIRST TIME

THIS YEAR. HE’S 60 YEARS OLD AND HE GAVE US HIS PREPS AND THOUGHTS FOR THE DIVE. THERE’S REALLY NO EXACT STRATEGY FOR THIS EVENT. IT’S A BLESSING IN THE WINNERS ALREADY CHOSEN BEFOREHAND. SO JUST SO WATER JUMP AND SWIM. THIS ANNUAL TRADITION. IT BRINGS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HERE TO THE TARPON SPRINGS AREA. AND IT’S GOING TO START AT ABOUT 8 O’CLOCK THIS TYPICALLY TAKES PLACE AROUND NOON. SO WITH SO MANY PEOPLE COMING OUT HERE, YOU CAN BET THAT THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF TRAFFIC. AND I’VE ALREADY SEEN THIS MORNING, SOME ROAD DEANNE DA,

KIND OF JUST TELL US, YOU KNOW, SOME WORKAROUNDS THIS MORNING OR LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON, FOLKS CAN HAVE AS THEY TRAVEL THROUGH THIS AREA. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, DAVE. YOUR GOOD MORNING. IT.