His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania celebrated the Feast of Epiphany, or the Blessing of the Waters as it is often called, on January 6, 2004 in the port city of Durres, Albania. Hundreds of faithful gathered for the Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Cathedral of The Apostle Paul and St. Asti, and then thousands of people came to the main port to watch the ceremony of the blessing of the waters at this country's main port city. As a part of the day's tradition, the Archbishop ceremoniously threw a cross into the waters of the port to bless the waters, and several stout, young men swam into the freezing waters to recover the cross and receive the blessing from Archbishop Anastasios.

The Feast of Epiphany, or Theophany, is one of the four greatest feast days of the year in the Orthodox Church. On this day, Orthodox believers not only remember the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, but more significantly, mark the beginning of Christ's Divine Mission on earth in the presence and manifestation of the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.