Holidays in Georgia: national holidays and festivals, celebration features

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Georgia is a country loved by many. Some people admire her nature. Its culture is multifaceted, its people are multinational. There are a lot of holidays here! Some belong only to ethnic groups, they are celebrated on the basis of Georgian traditions. Others represent the heterogeneity of European and Oriental cultures.

Fate Day

National holidays in Georgia have their own unique appeal and touching. Let's get to know them. Bedoba, or Destiny Day, is celebrated on January 2nd. Each person always hopes for the best, dreams of a profitable job, of a loved one, of beautiful children, that is, that his life will turn out well. This is probably why Georgians revere Bedob so much. On this day, everything clean and beautiful, lovingly prepared the day before, is put on. Quarrels, swearing, disputes are considered a terrible sin. You can't even get sick. Well, if the sores have already caught up - seem cheerful, do not whine, do not groan. It is considered bad luck to be separated from your family. ATthis day continues fun on the street, round dances, fireworks, music. But everyone is in a hurry to return to the house before dinner, so as not to be absent from the house for a whole year. Fate Day is spent at home with loved ones. By the way, many holidays in Georgia are connected with the family.

Tbilisoba

Tbilisoba is a celebration of trade fairs, wine tastings, folk festivals and outdoor concerts. Dedicated to the city of Tbilisi, which is reflected in its name. On this day, vehicular traffic is blocked. Artists and singers come to concerts with their programs. At fairs selling farm products, the fruits of the harvest rise in huge mountains. Masters exhibit their handicrafts for the judgment of fellow citizens. The holiday went beyond the borders of Georgia. The Georgian diaspora celebrates it in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities.

Chiakonoba

Chiakonoba is an ancient pagan holiday. Has an analogy with our Ivan Kupala. Celebrated on the Wednesday before Maundy Thursday. High fires are lit at night. Men, women, teenagers jump over the fire, undergoing the rite of purification.

Spring Festival

Navrus, or the Spring Festival is an ethnic Muslim holiday. It is celebrated by Azerbaijanis and Adjarian Georgians. Symbolizes the beginning of a new life, is the most ancient holiday on Earth. Cheerful holiday with songs, dances. A feast with sweets is a must. No one knows how to cook pakhvala and shorgals like Georgian housewives. What about khoncha? Dried fruits and nuts beautifully arranged in a basket are an unforgettable beauty and taste.

Mother's Day

Mother's Daycelebrated March 3rd. Everyone's favorite day. Georgians are very good sons and daughters. On this day, the streets are full of flowers, women receive bouquets and gifts from their loved ones, from sons and friends. On this day, concerts on the streets gather crowds of people. The attitude towards mothers in Georgia is very respectful. Each Georgian honors his family, is proud of his origin, greatly appreciates family and kinship relations. Many close and distant relatives gather at the table on this day.

Giorgoba

Georgia is basically an Orthodox country. Church holidays in Georgia glorify their national saints and universally recognized world ones. During the days of celebration, many pilgrims from all over the world come to the country to bow to the associates of the Christian faith.

Giorgoba is the feast of St. George. All churches, all monasteries of the country celebrate this great day. Georgians revere this saint so much that his days of glory have become public holidays and are declared non-working.

Mareamoba

Mareamoba - the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God - a surprisingly peaceful holiday, covered with sincere sadness. Georgians believe that their country is under the vigilant care of the Mother of God, so this holiday is especially revered by them.

Svetitskhovloba

Svetitskhovloba - the feast of the Chiton of the Lord and the Life-Giving Pillar. Every Orthodox Georgian with mother's milk absorbed the story of how two priests brought Jesus' tunic - the veil in which he was executed. A myrrh-streaming cedar grew at the burial place of the chiton. Suffering people came to him, hugged a tree, put their handsand he brought them healing. The pillars for the church that was built there are made from a cedar trunk. On this day, believers are baptized, a huge number of people are present at the most beautiful church services.

Lamprobe

Lamproba is the oldest holiday in Georgia. It is dedicated to George the Victorious. Born among the most beautiful places in Georgia - Sanctification, a place where the traditions of ancestors are still observed. The holiday is dedicated to victory over enemies. On this day, a mountain feast is held in the houses, torches are lit according to the number of men who are there.

Unity Day

As in any self-respecting country, there are also public holidays in Georgia. The ninth of April is the Day of National Unity - this is the day when the country honors the memory of the soldiers who defended the freedom of their Motherland and died for this freedom in 1989, when the USSR sent its troops into the territory of Georgia.

Valentine's Day

Our country celebrates Valentine's Day, and Georgia has its own holiday - Valentine's Day. Its Georgian youth celebrates on the fifteenth of April. Flowers, gifts, hugs, kisses, declarations of love to the grave - everything, like all lovers.

Meeting the New Year. Features

What other holiday is celebrated in Georgia? New Year. Separately, I would like to talk about unusual traditions during the New Year's Eve. In every house, along with a Christmas tree, so-called chichilaki appear before the holiday. These are wooden sticks decorated with thin shavings. Sweets, dried fruits, toys are broadcast on this product. After the holiday, chichilaki are burned so that all bad things disappear along withsmoke. The New Year's table must not only be plentiful, it must squat under the weight of yummy. Preparation of products for the holiday begins two weeks before it. Counters of shops and markets represent a cornucopia. There is everything that you dream about and even “I don’t know what”. Then next year will be as satisfying and full as this table.

Preparing for the New Year

Preparation for the celebration begins long before the New Year. Georgian housewives are very sensitive to the general cleaning of an apartment, house, yard, garden, workplace. Carpets are cleaned, feather beds, pillows and mattresses are dried, washed or replaced with new curtains, windows are washed, every centimeter of furniture and floor is wiped. The celebration of the New Year is held in accordance with the most ancient rituals that Georgians have carefully preserved to this day.

Rituals and rules for the New Year holidays

On the New Year holidays in Georgia, you can’t sleep at night so as not to oversleep your happiness. It is believed that if the doors are open on New Year's Eve, happiness walking through the streets will definitely look into the house and settle for the whole next year. A very beautiful ceremony. Many rituals are connected with bread. For the holiday, Georgians bake a white bun in the shape of a bagel, which is hung on a vine. The ritual attracts we alth and he alth.

In many families, they set up a small table with sweets at night. It is placed in the middle of the room, and a candle is placed in each corner of the house. Exactly at midnight, the head of the family with this table inwalks around the house in his hands, attracting an angel to the family. He will bring happiness in the future and will protect the whole year of all those living in this house.

At 12 o'clock the head of the family goes outside and shoots. According to Georgian belief, one shot kills one evil spirit. Of course, fireworks are now being fired on New Year's Eve, but the tradition of killing an evil spirit is still alive. A very beautiful belief is associated with mekvle, the person who first appeared in the house on January 1st. If the next year for the owners will be hospitable and happy, then their mekvle has a pure and bright soul. Such a person becomes a welcome guest forever. And on January 1 next year, he is invited on purpose. Another tradition on January 1st. On this day, fun continues on the street, round dances, fireworks, music. But everyone is in a hurry to return to the house before dinner, so as not to be absent from it for a whole year.

Rtveli

And, of course, wine holidays in Georgia deserve attention! Still, New Year is not a family holiday here, but undoubtedly Rtveli. This holiday is dedicated to the god Dionysus, and it has its roots in paganism. During the time of Christianity, the famous Greek orgies have sunk into oblivion. But people continue to sincerely rejoice at young wine and arrange grandiose feasts. The celebration is distinguished by a sincere desire to show all kinds of Georgian wine recipes.

Cheese Festival

Besides the holidays in Georgia, there are also festivals of various kinds. The Cheese Festival is a massive event. In 2015 it became an international festival. cheese loverscome from all over the world. Guests can taste a huge number of Georgian and Caucasian types of product. During the festival, cheese makers demonstrate the ancient art of cheese making, braiding techniques. Here there are cheeses in butter, in honey with flowers. Therefore, you need to come to the festival hungry so that the tasting is complete.

Vine Harvest Festival

The most famous Georgian festival is the Rtveli grape harvest. It takes place in the wine-growing center of Kakheti. The ritual of starting the celebration of the festival begins in the family. Grapes are placed in beautiful wicker baskets and earthenware jugs, then the festival of young wine in Georgia begins. Until late at night, music and songs do not stop. This event is one of the most beloved by Georgians.

Folklore Festival

The annual folklore festival is waiting for performers and songwriters. National song and dance groups are preparing for the performance long before the holiday. The ethnic festival annually revives the traditions of the talented Georgian people. National clothes, fervent dances, melodious tunes of Georgian spiritual songs attract the younger generation and a huge number of tourists.

Quirikoba

And what is the next holiday in Georgia in 2018? July 27-28 - Kvirikoba. Feast of the memory of the martyrs Kvirike and Ivlita. This is the only day when you can touch the Shalian icon.