(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JAN 19 - For the Orthodox Epiphany, which is celebrated today, religious rituals and the tradition of swimming in rivers and lakes are repeated in Serbia where many dive into a race to be first by swimming in the recovery of a cross placed at a distance of 33 meters, symbolizing the years of Jesus Christ. Before the race it is mandatory to undergo a medical examination and one must be at least 18 years old to participate. Similar ceremonies and races in icy waters are are also recorded today in the region's other Orthodox countries - Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia. (ANSA).