At midnight, January 19, the great feast of the Baptism of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA led the Great Blessing of Water of the Atlantic Ocean. His Grace was co-served by clergy of St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City. At the conclusion of the service, many braved the cold temperatures as well as the freezing ocean water and took part in the long-standing tradition of plunging into the sanctified waters.