We’re on the road again here at Day Translations, and this time we’ve landed in a part of the world that is known for its exquisite and unique architecture. Today, however, we’ll be exploring the rich cultural celebrations of Georgia in Europe.
Let’s not waste any more time to get into the richness of Georgian culture.
Georgia is found at the intersection of Europe and Asia. It is a former republic of the Soviet Union and is home to places such as the Caucasus Mountain villages and world famous Black Sea beaches. Georgia is indeed a fascinating melting pot of tradition, culture, and flavour. When all these features come together they turn into something totally original and uniquely Georgian.
Fun Fact, Georgia is famous for ‘Vardzia’. It’s a sprawling cave monastery that dates back to the 12th century. This beautiful country is also home to the ancient wine-growing region known as ‘Kakheti’.
The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi which features the famous Georgian architecture we spoke of earlier and is home to the maze-like, cobblestone streets. Tbilisi is also where the Tbilisoba celebrations originated. Today we’ll be zeroing in on these celebrations.
The History of Tbilisoba
Tbilisoba is a holiday celebrated in autumn. It takes place in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi every year in October. The Tbilisoba celebrations are in honor of 1500 years worth of the city’s history and resilience.
The annual Tbilisoba celebration isn’t only loved by Georgians, but also people from all over the world. This holiday is filled with many activities everyone can enjoy.
The first Tbilisoba celebration was held on October 28,1979. Following this initial event, Tbilisoba became an annual tradition Georgians look forward to.
Tbilisoba is earmarked as the time of year for acknowledging the end of another successful harvesting period. During the end of this harvesting period, you’ll find custom Georgian practices taking place such as the all famous wine marinating in traditional clay pots and the making of sweet Georgian ‘Churchkhela’. During this time you simply won’t be able to mistake the feeling of the autumn coldness in Tbilisi because there’s nothing else like it at any other point in time during the year.
What makes this time of year so significant is also the irony that lies in the excellence of the sun as it shines brightly during the daytime. It makes the holiday that much bearable. The sunshine allows everyone to forget about the drop in temperature as its warmth makes up for the cold.
Tbilisoba today
Preparations for Tbilisoba celebrations always begin several weeks in advance. During this preparation period various events are organized and the main place for the holiday celebrations, Old Tbilisi, the historical part of the city, is prepared.
When the venue is dressed and ready for the celebrations, you’ll see tents everywhere on the grounds. Here the locals serve attendees tasty and traditional Georgian dishes such as Khinkali and Khachapuri.
Additionally, attendees can enjoy fun and interesting Georgian cultural events such as concerts, competitions, exhibitions. Beyond celebrating the city’s past and present, people from all over Georgia represent their region at the ‘fair of the harvest’ and ‘Rtveli’ (two of the major events held during the time). There’s also an award ceremony held for honorary citizens of Tbilisi by the city government.
Of course, the Tbilisoba celebration attractions would not be complete without their flea markets. Exploring the flea market you’ll come across many start-up businesses present promoting their new and innovative products to the public. The celebrations give them a great opportunity to promote themselves to thousands of people as they gather in the name of having a good time while finding out what’s new in the city.
Tbilisoba is the type of event the residents of Tbilisi absolutely look forward to on a yearly basis. They’re able to meet with their friends to have a great time and also make new ones while they’re at it. It’s the perfect occasion for drinking wine, listening to great music, taking part in fun and traditional events and activities all while sharing the happiness of the time.
Wrapping up
The Tbilisoba celebrations are always something to look forward to in Georgia because of the rich and vibrant value that it holds for the cultural traditions of the country. In 2020 they were not able to have the celebrations as usual due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Many of the major events and concerts were instead televised. A number of cultural events and festivals were canceled entirely due to the circumstances as well.
It’s the hope of everyone that in the near future that the Tbiliosoba celebrations will return to their normal format. Until then, Georgians and everyone else who looks forward to this yearly event will keep the good times in mind.
Thanks for taking this journey with us, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we have.