Baptism

Nowadays, an infant’s Greek Orthodox baptism takes place inside the church, however, the Koudoumas Holy Monastery in Heraklion, Crete, decided to change things up. A couple from Crete baptized their son in a Christian Orthodox liturgy, reminiscent of ancient times,...

A baptism celebration in Karditsa, central Greece, turned to tragedy when the 35-year-old godfather from Chania, Crete, was hit in the head by a stray bullet (balothia). Balothia is a Cretan custom according to which, during feasts, weddings and celebrations, Cretans shoot in...

Members of a Greek Orthodox Church in Crete unofficially baptized a dolphin that was found nearly dead at a local beach. The animal was named Anastasis (the word for “resurrection” in Greek) because of its miraculous recovery. The dolphin was found on the coast...

With many people unable to afford the tradition of being a Godfather because of Greece's crushing economic crisis, some Cretans are taking out ads looking for someone who can afford the cost. A baptism in Crete is customarily a big...