Celebrating Easter as a Georgian
As the church plays a huge role in Georgia, it comes as no surprise that Easter is one of the most important holidays of the year. The streets of Tbilisi are left empty as thousands of Georgians head out of the city to celebrate Easter over the weekend with a variety of unique traditions.
Unlike in many other countries where eggs have become commercialized chocolate products, the easter eggs in Georgia are actual eggs and they are red. Many Georgian households use madder roots and onion peels to dye eggs a deep red color on ‘Red Friday’ (Good Friday) before sunset. Symbolizing Christ’s resurrection and eternal life, Georgians will crack the strongest eggs on Easter Sunday morning by tapping them against their teeth. The family member with the least broken eggs wins.
Grass is another symbol of Easter in Georgia that can often be found decorating the Easter table. Called Jejili, the freshly grown grass symbolizes new life and renewal.
Many Georgians will visit various church services held across the Easter weekend in often packed churches. The Saturday evening before Easter Sunday is one of the most important church services which celebrates the appearance of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem. During the service, they perform a ritual called ‘Litonioba’ which involves praying, listing to the Catholicos-Patriarch and waiting for the ‘Holy Fire’ to be brought by the delegation.
On the morning of Easter Sunday, it is a tradition to greet one another with “Christ has Risen” before even saying hello. If someone says this to you, you should reply “Indeed He has Risen!,” before continuing the conversation.
Of course, no Georgian celebration is complete without food. A special food dish is traditionally prepared on Easter Sunday. Many households cook ‘chakapuli’ a lamb meat stew as well as ‘paska’. ‘Paska’ is a kind of bread cake with raisins, nutmeg, saffron, cloves, cinnamon, and other spices.
Perhaps the most unusual Easter tradition takes place on Easter Monday when Georgians often visit the graves of their relatives, which has a significant meaning for many families. So many people travel to graveyards on Monday that public transportation to cemeteries is free and traffic jams are common.
Georgia’s history makes this tradition even more significant. During the communist reign, many churches were destroyed and religion was heavily discouraged. Because of this, many Georgian instead went to graveyards to pray, a tradition which has outlasted communism and become a part of Easter celebrations.
After arriving at a grave, it is tradition to light a candle and roll one of the red eggs across the grave whilst declaring “Christ has risen! Indeed he has risen!”. This ritual is performed three times before a supra is set up at the graveside with many toasts dedicated to the deceased. The occasion is celebrated, not mourned, as they are happy to sit once again at the table with their departed.
When the celebrations are finished, wine is poured on the grave, a custom called “knocking over a goblet.” Although foreigners are often stunned by such an action, Georgians believe it means they won’t be alone after death as their relatives will also visit them at their resting place.
by Amy Jones
Photo source - Go Kartli