Sotirios Gkaintatzis danced across burning coals, his stomping bare feet raising sparks and puffs of smoke as he held aloft an icon of Saints Constantine and Helen. Gkaintatzis is the leader of a group of anastenaria -- the devotees of St. Constantine who celebrate these centuries-old rites in a smattering of small villages near Greece’s border with Bulgaria. Firewalking is the most spectacular and public of these annual rituals that include dancing, prayer, and shared meals in the konaki, a private dwelling where the icons are preserved for generations. Devotees of St. Constantine called "anastenaria" walk and dance across a bed of burning coals, carrying icons to celebrate the Orthodox saint's feast in Lagkadas, Greece, on Monday, May 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell'Orto) ...
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