Old New Year traditions in Georgia and their origin
Christmas and New Year holidays are special for everyone, linked with high expectations and joy. Preparations for the holidays kick off in December in Georgia.
The date of New Year has been changed several times in the country. In the sixth century New Year was celebrated on August 6. Starting from the seventh century until the beginning of the ninth century the holiday was marked in September, then in March. New Year has been celebrated in January since the 14th century, after the introduction of the European calendar.
The date of New Year has been changed several times in the country. In the sixth century New Year was celebrated on August 6. Starting from the seventh century until the beginning of the ninth century the holiday was marked in September, then in March. New Year has been celebrated in January since the 14th century, after the introduction of the European calendar.
Celebrating of Christmas and New year is unimaginable without customs and traditions, cause the duo give the holidays a special shade. Georgian regions have different and diverse rituals for the holidays. However, the goal is the same-people should meet New Year in such a way the year to bring health, happiness and welfare for each family. As a rule, New Year eve is celebrated at homes and then people start visiting their friends and relatives.
Various pagan traditions were merged with New Year in Georgia, “Basila,” and “Chichilaki,” among them. “Chichilaki” is particularly popular in the Guria and Samegrelo regions of Georgia. It is made of a branch of hazelnut and is used as a Christmas tree. Nut was regarded as one of the most yielding plants in Georgia and that is why it was chosen for “Chichilaki.” A long, white “Chchilaki” was adorned with jewelry, fruit and sweets, as the symbol of welfare and happy days. “Chichilaki” was also called the “Beard of Basila,” related to Saint Basil.
One more interesting tradition is connected with Saint Basil in the country. In ancient Georgia, before Christianity, celebration of New Year was connected with the sun idol. Until the most recent years, a Basila bread-baked sculpture was an inseparable part of the Georgian New Year feast. As it is known, in ancient times, Basila was the sun idol and only after the third century the Christian church associated the bread sculptures with Saint Basil.
კიდევ ერთი საინტერესო ტრადიციაა დაკავშირებული წმინდა ბასილის სახელთან. ძველ საქართველოში, ჯერ კიდევ მანამ, სანამ ქრისტიანობა დამკვიდრდებოდა, ახალი წლის აღნიშვნა დაკავშირებული იყო მზის ღვთაებასთან. უკანასკნელ დრომდე ქართული საახალწლო სუფრის განუყოფელი ნაწილი იყო პურისაგან გამომცხვარი "ბასილას" ქანდაკებაც. როგორც ცნობილია, თავდაპირველად ბასილა არა წმ. ბასილის, არამედ წარმართული ხანის მზის ღვთაების ქანდაკება იყო, ბასილას კვერები კი - მასთან დაკავშირებული ღვთაებები, რომლებსაც ჩვენი წინაპარნი შორეულ წარსულში შვიდ მნათობთა სახით თაყვანს სცემდნენ. მხოლოდ III საუკუნის შემდეგ, ქრისტიანულმა ეკლესიამ ახალი წლის დღესასწაული წმ. ბასილის ხსოვნას დაუკავშირა და ამ დროიდან ქართულ საახალწლო სუფრაზე მდებარე მზის ღვთაების ქანდაკებას, ბასილა ეწოდა.
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