The 24-year-old Wollongong man earned himself a lifetime of good luck by retrieving the cross thrown into Wollongong Harbour as part of the Macedonian Orthodox celebration of the baptism of Jesus Christ, which occurs on January 19 each year.

Mr Kostadinovski had only tried his luck once before, when he was just 10.

"I always say I wanted to do it but I'm always working but today it was a Sunday so I thought I may as well do it now," he said.

The baptism of Jesus Christ is one of the biggest events on their religious calendar, after Christmas and New Year's Eve.

"It's a day that we always intend to make the best of as a community," Wollongong Macedonian Orthodox Community President Lou Stefanovski said.

"It's celebrated virtually worldwide, all Macedonian Orthodox do celebrate this particular day."

READ MORE: Kangaroo Valley community rebuilding

He said the throwing of the cross into the waters at Belmore Basin had a strong symbolic meaning to the community.

"It has to do with the Macedonian Orthodox tradition of saving Jesus Christ and we believe that whichever young man or woman saves the cross will have a lifetime of fortune and happiness," he said.

"It's very honourable to actually save it and if you do it once in your lifetime, you're very lucky."

After the mass and the throwing of the cross, Mr Stefanovski said people have a big lunch with their families and the lucky person who found the cross can visit houses to collect money, because others liked to kiss the cross.

There were around 20 boys and men in the water ready to retrieve the cross on Sunday, but no females took part.

Mr Stefanovski said women were allowed to try their hand but the Wollongong community had not had a female diver yet.

"They have done it in Macedonia but they're still a bit shy here," he said.

"We've never ever been able to encourage them, but it is quite okay for them to jump in and try and save the cross if they wish."