On Sunday, 4 January 2026, the Annual Blessing of the Seas took place in Margate, hosted and organised by the Greek Orthodox Community of the Archangel Michael.
Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain presided at Matins and the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Archangel Michael, and subsequently led the traditional Blessing of the Seas at the waterfront.
Concelebrating with Archbishop Nikitas were Presbyter Dimitrios Kontelides, Priest-in-Charge, Presbyter Piotr Prokopczyk, and Archdeacon Dr George Tsourous.
This year’s celebration marked the 60th anniversary of this long-established tradition, held in honour of the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, also referred to as the Theophany. The event was attended by more than thirty mayors and civic leaders, reflecting its growing significance both locally and nationally.
Following the Divine Liturgy, clergy, faithful, civic representatives, and marching bands processed together to the seafront, where the Holy Cross was prayerfully immersed in the sea, blessing and sanctifying the waters, and was then retrieved by twelve-year-old Harry Costi.
The celebration once again demonstrated the expanding reach of the event beyond the Greek Orthodox community. The strong participation of residents, together with the close cooperation of the Margate authorities, highlighted the Blessing of the Seas as a living and evolving tradition – one that increasingly serves as a point of encounter, unity, and shared witness within the wider community.
Photo credit: Stevie O’neil
