Epiphany celebrated with icy dip in Balkans

Dozens of people participated in the traditional swim for the cross in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday to mark feast of Epiphany.

The celebrations took place by the Sava River in Belgrade where members of the gendarmerie, part of the country's police force, swam at a temperature just above zero degrees Celsius. Braving wintry weather in Knezina in Bosnia and Herzegovina, participants jumped into the cold Biostica River to reach for the cross.

Epiphany, which celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, is one of the most important holidays in the Orthodox Christian calendar. As part of the celebrations in the Balkans, a crucifix is thrown into a river or lake while the faithful swim across to retrieve it.