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Three Dates, One Faith: Why the Caucasus Celebrates Christmas Differently?
- ORIENTO Travel & DMC
- Jan 6
- 5 min read
Imagine standing in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia. It is December 25th. The city is glittering with lights, tourists are drinking mulled wine, and the world seems to be celebrating. But walk into a centuries-old stone church, and you will find it quiet. There is no mass, no nativity hymns yet. Here, the great anticipation is still building.
For the uninitiated traveler, the holiday season in the Caucasus is a beautiful puzzle. Why does the West unwrap gifts on December 25th, while the Armenians celebrate on January 6th, and the Georgians wait until January 7th?
To understand this, we have to put away our smartphones and pick up an ancient map—not of geography, but of time.
The Great Calendar Rift: The "Old Style Christmas" vs. The New
The confusion isn't about theology; it is about mathematics.
For centuries, all of Christendom used the Julian Calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar. It was a good calendar, but it had a tiny flaw: it was 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the actual solar year. Over centuries, those minutes stacked up into days. By the 16th century, the calendar had drifted about 10 days out of sync with the seasons.
Pope Gregory XIII fixed this in 1582 by introducing the Gregorian Calendar (the one we use today). The Catholic West adopted it immediately. However, the Orthodox East, suspicious of Papal innovations, said "No." They stuck to the Julian Calendar.
Here is the twist: The Georgian Orthodox Church actually celebrates Christmas on December 25th. But, they do it according to the Julian calendar. And December 25th on the Julian calendar currently falls on January 7th on our modern civil calendar.
So, when Georgians celebrate, they aren't "late." In their liturgical reality, it is exactly the 25th of December.
Armenia: The Keeper of the Ancient Date (January 6)
If Georgia follows the "Old Style" calendar, what about their neighbors in Armenia?
The Armenian Apostolic Church stands apart. They are not Eastern Orthodox (like Greeks or Georgians) but Oriental Orthodox. They preserved the most ancient tradition of all.
In the very early centuries of Christianity, the birth of Jesus (Nativity) and His baptism (Theophany) were celebrated together on one day: January 6th.
In the 4th century, the Roman Church moved the Nativity to December 25th (likely to overwrite pagan solstice festivals). The rest of the Christian world eventually followed—except the Armenians. Isolation and a strong sense of tradition meant they never adopted the Roman split. To this day, on January 6th, Armenians celebrate the "Birth and Revelation" simultaneously.
The Ritual: If you visit an Armenian church (for example, in Tbilisi’s Avlabari district) on January 6th, you will witness the Blessing of the Water (Jurorhnek). The priest dips a cross into water, symbolizing Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River, and pours in holy oil (Muron). The faithful take this holy water home to heal the sick and bless their houses.
Georgia: The Land of the Shining Procession (January 7)
Now, let us turn our eyes to the heart of this story: Sakartvelo (Georgia).
Christmas here is less about commercial glitter and more about mystical connection. While Western Christmas is often private and family-centered, Georgian Christmas spills into the streets.
The Alilo Procession
On the morning of January 7th, the streets of Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi transform. This is Alilo (derived from "Hallelujah"). Thousands of people march through the city.
You will see men dressed as Roman soldiers, children dressed as angels with halos of flowers, and clergy in golden robes. They carry icons, crosses, and banners. But the most unique participants are the "Magi"—often dressed in traditional Georgian heavy wool coats (chokha).
They walk not to receive, but to give. They pull carts and collect sweets, clothes, and food from bystanders to distribute to orphanages and the poor. It is a moving spectacle of charity that turns the city into a living theater.
The Chichilaki: A Beard of Wood
Forget the green fir tree. The true symbol of a Georgian Christmas is the Chichilaki.
Made from a dried hazelnut or walnut branch, it is shaved by a master craftsman until it turns into a cascade of white, curly wood shavings. It looks like a flowing white beard — specifically, the beard of St. Basil the Great.
These are decorated with red berries and sweets. They are small, humble, and deeply symbolic. Tradition dictates that when the holiday season ends (usually after Epiphany on January 19th), the Chichilaki should be burned. As the smoke rises, it is believed to carry away the troubles and misfortunes of the past year.
The Candle in the Window
This is perhaps the most touching modern tradition. It was introduced by the Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II. He asked every Georgian to light a candle and place it in their window at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Walk through a Georgian village or a high-rise district in Tbilisi at 12:00 AM on January 7th. You will see thousands of tiny flickers in the darkness—beacons meant to invite the Virgin Mary and Joseph into the home, ensuring they have a place to stay, unlike in Bethlehem.
Culinary Liturgy: Breaking the Fast
In the West, we feast. In the East, they fast—then they feast.
Orthodox believers undergo a 40-day fast before Christmas (vegan: no meat, dairy, or eggs). This makes the Christmas table (Supra) an explosion of joy.
Guruli Gvezeli: In the western region of Guria, they bake a special crescent-shaped pie filled with cheese and hard-boiled eggs. The shape represents the moon and celestial bodies.
Satsivi: Turkey or chicken in a rich, spiced walnut sauce.
Gozinaki: The absolute king of Georgian Christmas sweets—honey and walnuts cooked until they form a diamond-shaped brittle. It is only made for the New Year and Christmas.
Different Dates, Same Light
The differences between the Western December 25th, the Armenian January 6th, and the Georgian January 7th are historical accidents of calendars and geography. But the essence remains identical. While the West has mastered the "Magic" of Christmas (Santa, gifts, lights), the Caucasus has preserved the "Mystery."
In Georgia, Christmas feels ancient. It smells of beeswax candles and frankincense. It sounds like the polyphonic chanting of the Alilo. It tastes like honey and walnuts. It is a reminder that while the date on the calendar might change, the human need to gather, to share light in the darkness, and to hope for a new beginning is the same in every language.
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