NICKOLAS Mandicos had a simple strategy for retrieving the sacred cross thrown into Newcastle Ocean Baths.
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"You need to wait to see where it lands before you jump," Nickolas, 16, said, at the Macedonian Community of Newcastle's commemoration of Vodici, or the Epiphany.
"Then you've just got to get there as fast as possible.
"You've got to keep your eyes open under the water.
"You hold your breath and you swim.
"It went very quick - I just got there, saw it and went straight down."
Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar celebrate January 19 as the day St John baptised Jesus Christ in the River Jordan.
Parishioners gathered on Sunday at the Macedonian Orthodox Church of St Mary in Broadmeadow before travelling to the baths.
About 17 contenders lined up and waited for the priest, Otec Peco Petrovski, to hold a sanctification ceremony and then throw the cross into the baths, blessing the waters.
Nickolas has participated - and retrieved the cross - once before, in 2018.
"I feel good and happy," he said.
"It's a good feeling - it means good luck, good health, good everything."
Nickolas is starting year 11 at St Francis Xavier's College at Hamilton and hopes to get his provisional driver's licence.
"It will be a big year," he said.
"I want to do well at school, be safe when I'm out and about, just be happy and for everyone to be healthy."
Nickolas said he both wanted to participate again - and give another person the chance to retrieve the cross.
"It's good to get together with the community," he said.
"This is a big religious event and is about maintaining tradition.
"It's been happening for so many years we've got to keep it going."
Community president Sash Stojcevski said the event had taken place for 50 years regardless of the day of the week on which it fell.
He remembered participating as a child in a pool outside the church.
"Today everyone came out in force," he said.
"We haven't had this many people here for a few years but it's getting bigger and bigger.
"It's important for us to keep traditions alive. It's a time to reflect more on the more spiritual side of things."
Nickolas will now travel to Newcastle's more than 1000 Macedonian households for the residents to kiss the cross.
They will give him money to be split between him and the church.
Kristian Majurovski, 11, lined up for the second time and was one of the youngest contenders.
"It's exciting and a bit of an adrenaline rush - I'll keep coming back until I get it," he said.
Churchgoers donated $1019 to the Rural Fire Service's Wakefield brigade - as well as clothes and toiletries for the NSW South Coast - in the past fortnight and another $900 at the Sunday liturgy.