Saturday, February 08, 2014

Blessing of the Sea Ceremony Margate

 
January sees the Annual Blessing of the Seas ceremony in Margate. The ceremony is for
the Feast of the Epiphany/Theophany in commemoration of the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. Margate has a large Greek Cypriot community and the celebration begins with a service at St Michael the Archangel, the Greek Orthodox Church at Margate.


The procession was led by the Margate Girls and Boys Brigade marching band and many local mayors and their mace bearers, and other dignitaries, consular authorities from Greece and Cyprus and clergy from the Greek Orthodox Church walked behind to Nayland Rock, opposite the train station in Margate.



The ceremony is proformed by clergy from the  Greek Orthodox church including Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateria and Great Britain, who conducts the blessing. The Anglican Bishop of Dover was also in attendance.

I always enjoy watching processions and seeing the costumes and regalia on show, this year the weather was blue skies and sunshine which was great. I didn't stay for the whole ceremony but could hear the prayers following me as I walked along the sea front.

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