Each country has its own traditions. People honor and remember them. It is good knowledge and observance of traditions that distinguishes local residents from foreigners. A person can live in the country for many years, but so to the end and not be imbued with culture. What traditions of Georgia do our compatriots consider unique?
Do not take off your shoes at a party
Almost all Europeans do not wear slippers at home. Clean streets, asphalt, which is washed every day, and the absence of settling dust - all this allows people to walk around the house in boots. Shoes are removed if it is hot. The same is practiced in Georgia. The tradition of not taking off your shoes appeared long ago. Unlike European countries, in Georgia streets are not washed every day, and yet people are not obsessed with cleanliness. After all, a guest is a welcome and respected person. Georgians are trying in every way to please anyone who entered their house. Therefore, the owner will be offended if you decide to take off his shoes in the hallway. The Georgian wants to be sure that the guest in the house is cozy and comfortable.
Food
Many traditions of Georgia are associated with various meals. Georgians love holidays and feasts. Therefore, even from an ordinary breakfast, they make a whole ritual. The family always gets together, and if someone is late, they will wait. The table is set taking into account the fact that guests can suddenly arrive. Food is always prepared in abundance. Breakfast is no different from lunch and dinner. People eat tight and satisfying at every meal. The main diet of Georgians consists of greens, vegetables and meat. Fruits and national dishes such as lobio often appear on the table. Beans and other legumes are enjoyed by the Georgian people. The most honorable place on the table is meat. It is served in various variations. It can be barbecue, khinkali, dumplings or chops. Any meal is accompanied by a large amount of wine. Mostly men drink, but married women do not refrain from alcohol. Numerous types of cheeses are served for appetizer. The feast is stretched for at least an hour. Any, even a very modest family meal is accompanied by toasts and sincere conversations.
Feast
The traditions of Georgia related to food occupy a separate place on the pages of any guidebook. A feast is a favorite pastime of any Georgian. With or without it, people gather to have fun. There are always a lot of people at such festivities. Moreover, the owner of the house does not always know the guests by name, and some of them can see for the first time. It is customary for Georgians to warmly welcome and sit at the table of any traveler. Tourists often enjoy the hospitality of the hosts. It is enough to find the courtyard from which the music pours, and you can safely go in there with the intention of having fun and satisfying food.
A standard feast starts at lunch and ends late at night. The abundance of food and wine contributes to the fact that people conduct fairly frank conversations. But at the same time, all Georgians are watching words and expressions. Adults do not swear, because they do not want to catch the judgmental glances of their neighbors. Even in a fit of brightness or argument, Georgians will never hit their acquaintance. Therefore, all feasts pass loudly, but peacefully.
In recent years, traditional hospitality has come to naught. Now Georgians are less likely to visit each other, but they often invite relatives and friends to a restaurant. Walking is carried under the roof of the institution and continues until the morning. The one who gathered everyone at the table pays for food and entertainment.
Parting
All countries have their own traditions and customs. Georgia is distinguished by its hospitality. This is expressed even in how exactly the guests leave after the feast. You can’t leave the walk without saying goodbye to the owner of the house. This can cause a person a big resentment. If the guest decided to leave, then he needs to understand that he will be able to do this in at least 30 minutes. Such a farewell in Georgia is normal. The departing person should say a toast, drink for the host’s health, and then listen to the toasts from most of the people gathered at the table. If a person can still leave the welcoming owner, he will not have to call a taxi. The guest, who went through the wine at the table, has every right to call the police and admit that he is not able to get behind the wheel now. Law enforcement officers will quickly come for a man and take him home. They will do it for free and without any complaints.
Wedding
The traditions and customs of Georgia are very beautiful, if you look at them from the side. But for Georgians, there is nothing strange in fancy celebrations. They consider them commonplace. What are the wedding traditions in Georgia? The first of them is that the bride is chosen by the groom's parents. Moreover, the candidacy of the girl is discussed with all relatives, and everyone has the right to express their opinion about the future bride. If you liked a girl, then the groom goes to her to marry. And how is the wedding going and at whose expense is the party organized? The celebration is paid for by the groom's family. The girls do not require any dowry. The bride should be beautiful, hardworking, economic and chaste. The wedding is held in the format of a large feast.
Most often, walks are carried out in the groom's yard. Numerous tables are brought out onto the street, which are fixed with all kinds of dishes. Not only all relatives on both sides of the couple are invited to the wedding, but also friends and neighbors. It’s impossible not to attend a wedding in Georgia. Such a refusal will be considered an insult to the young. A beautiful tradition of stealing a bride still exists. But today, consent for this ritual must be obtained from the girl and her many relatives. How is the wedding ceremony? The groom brings the girl to the future home, pours wine into a glass and throws a ring there. Having sipped a drink with the bride, the groom swears to the girl in eternal love. After that, a man climbs onto the roof and launches a white dove.
Winemaking
The culture and traditions of Georgia are inextricably linked with the tart drink, which is obtained by fermentation of grapes. Wine is a national treasure of the country. Georgians drink it from the age of 12. Alcoholism is not encouraged in the country, but nonetheless, the culture of wine consumption is at the highest level. The history and traditions of winemaking in Georgia have deep roots. In the Guinness Book of Records, Georgian wine fell as the oldest. It is produced in numerous wineries of the country from local grape varieties. Tart wines are considered the most useful. They are stored longer and contain large quantities of polyphenols. If you get to a Georgian feast, you will certainly be offered a glass of wine. You have no right to refuse, otherwise the landlord will be offended by you. In most cases, it is necessary to finish the wine to the bottom. If you leave something in the glass, it will mean disrespect or neglect of the owner. Once at a Georgian feast, choose a drink that you will drink all evening. Do not interfere with different types of wine among themselves and especially with chacha. Otherwise, you will quickly lose control of yourself, as well as the respect of the guests.
Songs
The national traditions of Georgia are determined by the peculiar culture of this country. Georgians are very fond of feasts and wine. As a result, all the inhabitants of the country, young and old, sing feast songs. People do not sing for themselves, they perform a repertoire known to all. It is also not customary to sing solo. Any Georgian feast is accompanied by a standard repertoire that rarely changes. In honor of people, folklore in its modern interpretation. Folk instruments such as lobes and changs can still be seen; they are the same artifact as the accordion or button accordion in Russia. But the performance of musical compositions on these instruments can only be heard at a wedding.
Dancing
The traditions of the people of Georgia are inextricably linked not only with music, but also with choreography. Dances accompany any Georgian gatherings. Horumi is considered especially popular. Such a dance is performed by 10 to 15 men. Incendiary action takes place under the choral singing of the audience. Lezginka, so beloved by the Russians, came to our country from Georgia. There it is called kartuli. This dance is most often performed by lovers. You can meet the dancers not only in the Georgian courtyard, but also in any restaurant. In addition to visitors, dances are performed by professional dancers and artists.
New Year
Beloved holiday in Georgia, as well as in Russia, is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. If we briefly describe the traditions of Georgians for the New Year, then we should mention the similarity of the Georgian and Russian holidays. It consists in installing a Christmas tree, preparing a huge amount of food and launching a firework. It should be noted that from ancient times the Georgians fired fireworks at 12 am, only before it was a shotgun, and today it is all kinds of purchased missiles and fireworks.
Happy New Year Georgians congratulate Snowy grandfather. He gives the kids sweets, not gifts. In grandfather's bag are baklava and dried fruits. In addition to the Christmas tree, Georgians install a structure of hazel branches in the house. Decorate such a "tree" with dried fruits. After the New Year, the product is burned. According to tradition, all troubles and misfortunes should leave the family along with smoke.
Chiacoconoba
Many of Georgia’s ancient cultural traditions are still alive. Along with church holidays, Georgians celebrate and pagan. Chiakoconab has a great resemblance to the Russian Ivan Kupala. On this day, people travel out of town, collect large bonfires, light them and jump over the fire. It is believed that such a ritual helps a person to renew and cleanse himself energetically. It should be noted that the church unsuccessfully requires that the Georgians not celebrate the holiday, but people who are used to having festivities for any reason have no reason to deny themselves pleasure and not celebrate another holiday, which has deep roots.
Attitude towards men
The traditions of raising boys in Georgia have not changed for decades. Toddlers are still taught to sit in the saddle and wield knives. In such images, fathers develop will power from their sons, develop their physical strength and learn to protect themselves and, if necessary, to stand up for their family.
All Georgians are patriots, and for this reason they have a highly developed national consciousness. Much attention is paid to teaching boys the art of eloquence. Any man should be able not only to say well, but also defend his opinion without using his fists. Men are taught to protect and care for women. In Georgian families, a husband is an authority, and a woman must obey him. For this reason, a man should bring money to the family and be responsible for everything that happens in his house.
