On January 19, 2025, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was celebrated with great solemnity in North Macedonia. By the blessing of His Beatitude Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Skopje. The service was led by Metropolitan Joseph of Tetovo and Gostivar, as reported by the website of the Skopje Diocese of the Macedonian Church.

Following the liturgy, a religious procession took place, involving clergy and numerous faithful. The procession made its way to the Sloboda Bridge, where Metropolitan Joseph conducted the Great Blessing of the Waters of the Vardar River. According to tradition, an icon was placed into the blessed waters, and participants competed to retrieve it. Theodor Joveski was the first to reach the icon, becoming the hero of the celebration.

The Vardar is the longest river in North Macedonia, flowing through the entire country. On the Feast of Theophany, celebrations along the Vardar take place in multiple cities. In Gostivar, the festivities began with a Divine Liturgy at the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos Church. Afterward, the faithful marched in a procession with hymns to a bridge, where the water was blessed.

Thirty participants, including a six-year-old boy, competed to retrieve the blessed cross from the water. The winner was Predrag Dimoski, who received congratulations and blessings from the gathered crowd.