New Year in Georgia is not just a single holiday, you must understand this, it is an intense, sprawling festival that runs for weeks. Unlike many countries, Georgia celebrates twice, once on January 1st, and then again on January 14th, the deeply traditional Old New Year, or Kalanda. This whole period is completely filled with unique customs, lavish tables, and ritualistic hopes for the coming year.
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The Urban Spark and Tovlis Babua
The festive preparations, I mean the real ones, in major cities like Tbilisi and Batumi, they begin well before December 31st. Tbilisi transforms. The main New Year tree on Rustaveli Avenue is lit ceremoniously, and vibrant New Year villages pop up, like in First Republic Square. These areas offer concerts, stalls selling regional sweets – lots of sweets – and a genuine, buzzing atmosphere that feels intensely special, genuinely exciting.
The Georgian Santa Claus, the Tovlis Babua, is the central figure. He descends, traditionally, from the high mountains of Svaneti, delivering gifts, often those colorful baskets full of sweets, to children. Also prominent, and this is important, is the Chichilaki, the Georgian Christmas tree. It’s a distinct, symbolic tree, made from dried hazelnut or walnut branches, symbolizing the tree of life, and it’s decorated with dried fruit and sweets for luck. This traditional tree is meant to be burnt after the holiday season, symbolizing the necessary departure of all the past year’s troubles.
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The Sacred Table: Supra, Sweets, and Sincerity
New Year’s Eve itself is absolutely the main event, a critical family festival spent gathered with relatives and close friends. It centers entirely around the Supra, the Georgian feast table. It has to be that way.
The table must be overloaded, absolutely packed with traditional dishes. The superstition here is clear: the more sweets you have, the “sweeter” the coming year will be. The essential dishes are non negotiable, totally required: Satsivi, the flavorful turkey or chicken in a rich walnut sauce, and Gozinaki, a honey glazed candy made with walnuts specifically for this occasion. These dishes are strong, powerful symbols of abundance and good fortune. Eloquent, heartfelt toasts of best wishes are proclaimed constantly, right up until midnight.
As the clock strikes twelve, cities ignite. The fireworks displays are massive, massive events, followed by cheers, music, and immediate calls to loved ones. It’s loud.
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The First Foot: Mekvle and Bedoba
A vital Georgian tradition unfolds immediately after midnight. This is the role of the Mekvle. This is the first person who crosses the threshold of the house after the New Year has arrived. The Mekvle is believed to bring either luck or misfortune to the home, so this person is often chosen carefully beforehand. Upon entering, the Mekvle blesses the home, scattering sweets, nuts, and fruit into every corner of the room. This symbolizes wishes for abundance and joy for the household. The correct first step is considered crucial, absolutely important.
The cycle continues on January 2nd with Bedoba, or the Day of Luck. Georgians firmly believe that the way you spend Bedoba will actually determine the entire course of your year. Therefore, bad moods are strictly forbidden, and people strive to remain cheerful, positive, and surrounded by close, beloved people. This is a very serious tradition.
New Year in Georgia is a beautiful, deeply traditional affair, extending well beyond a single night. It is a time defined by family, incredible generosity, and a profound, ritualistic hope for a prosperous future.