Orthodox Holidays. I like the different traditions of New Year in Georgia. First, we cook all day New Year's Eve so we have food for the next week and for all the guests that come to visit. Decorations are strung, and small Christmas trees are decorated.
Secondly, at midnight we don't have to jockey for position for a New Year kiss (issue of singles as well as married people, as I have experienced) We all run outside and everyone (YES, everyone) has real fireworks that they shoot off in the yard. So the entire town, village, or city, lights up with fireworks. for a half hour. Next we all come inside and toast to the new year, then have fruit and sweets, and watch the obligatory celebrations from around the world on TV. One traditional food is cosinoki - this is just honey and crushed nuts, heated on the stove and then cooled, like on a cookie sheet. It is good and not too unhealthy. We share secret santa gifts - nothing big and thank heaven, nothing so commercial as in the US. My host sister received a little bunny! Around 2am, we may have a meal, since everyone is hungry by then.
Finally, there is lovely tradition that the first person who comes to visit in the new year portends to a new year of good karma. It was true this year when a 7 year old arrived (by taxi, no less) to be the first visitor, about 1:30am. He was treated as a special guest, and when his mom called to arrange for him to come home, he begged to spend the night. It was a fun time, relaxing and jovial, without all the stress of many holidays.
New Years day arrived quietly, We all slept in. It was cold with a dusting of snow, but still warm enough to not fear going out to the bathroom in the morning. We pulled out a nice meal around 2pm, and this evening we had my burritos I made the other night.
As we viewed pictures from past trips and talked about future plans, we watched a popular georgian comedy movie, called Mrs.Zdidza. It was a georgian remake of Mrs. Doubtfire! EXACTLY! It was amazing to know exactly what was happening throughout the story, and how easily they took all the plot and copied it. Except the star didn't save Pierce Brosnan with a shrimp stuck in his throat, but got into a fight with someone hitting on his ex-wife. Now, I'm watching the georgian remake of Home Alone. Honest! Great country of copyrights, or maybe they did pay royalties? Who knows. HA HA.
I was back in Koda for Georgian Christmas, January 7th. It is a quiet affair. Some say that most of the traditions went away during the Soviet rule. Some attend mass - it goes from 11pm Christmas Eve until about 3 am Christmas Day. Now that is dedication! There are no presents; that is handled on New Years. But we do get the day off.
There is also talk of the "old new year" celebrated in mid January. So, in other words, not much gets done here in January. It is hard to have exciting work related 'kick-offs' that I like - full of planning and goals. It is a bit like our work day - slow to start and at 4:30 everyone decide to have meetings and get the work done. Different strokes...
So from my georgian family to you and yours, Happy New year. Let's have a great 2016!
New Years day arrived quietly, We all slept in. It was cold with a dusting of snow, but still warm enough to not fear going out to the bathroom in the morning. We pulled out a nice meal around 2pm, and this evening we had my burritos I made the other night.
