Jan. 6 in photos

The celebration of the Epiphany from several European countries and traditional sleigh racing highlight today's photos.

Section:Gallery

Tue., Jan. 6, 2009

Participants from Slovakia have their national flag fixed to their sleigh as they are airborne while taking a bump at a Bavarian sleigh racing competition at Garmisch Partenkirchen, southern Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. Sleighs were used to haul timber and hay from the mountains in former times.

Diether Endlicher Associated Press
President George W. Bush pauses during a farewell ceremony from the military at Ft. Myer in Arlington, Va., Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009.

J. Applewhite Associated Press
A man touches a pony during Epiphany celebrations in the village of Pietrosani, 50km north of Bucharest, Tuesday Jan. 6, 2009. Part of the local Epiphany customs, following the religious service, villagers get their horses blessed with the Holy water then organize a horse race.

Vadim Ghirda Associated Press
A priest blesses a horse during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in the village of Pietrosani, 50km north from Bucharest, Tuesday Jan. 6, 2009. Part of the local Epiphany customs, following the religious service, villagers get their horses blessed with the Holy water then organize a horse race.

Vadim Ghirda Associated Press
Police officers Juan Polo, left, Tomas Diaz, center, and Pablo Villa dressed as the Three Wise Men or Three Kings parade in Lima, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. On the Epiphany, the Catholic Church marks the visit of the Three Kings or Wise Men, to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Martin Mejia Associated Press
The winner in retrieving a cross, Evaggelos Kargiofilis, holds up the wooden cross during an Epiphany ceremony to bless the water in Greece's northern port city of Thessaloniki on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. Similar ceremonies to mark Epiphany day were held across Greece on river banks, seafronts and lakes. An Orthodox priest throws a cross into the water and swimmers race to be the first to retrieve it.

Nikolas Giakoumidis Associated Press
Dog walker Kimberly Duff takes in an afternoon walk at Cherry Beach in Toronto on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009.

Nathan Denette Associated Press
Overall leader Wolfgang Loitzl from Austria soars through the air during the practice jump of the fourth competition of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Bischofshofen, Austria, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009.

Christof Stache Associated Press
In this photo released by Chilean Navy, the VM Materiaux of French skipper Jean Le Cam is seen overturned in waters off Cape Horn, southern Chile, during the Vendee Globe solo race, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. Rescue efforts are underway, with a Chilean naval vessel heading to help Le Cam. The Vendee Globe is an around-the-world race for men and women with no stopovers.