How is Epiphany celebrated in Georgia? Rituals and customs.

Religious Georgians revere all holy holidays and adhere to strict rules on such days. The Baptism of Christ is celebrated by all Orthodox Christians on January 19, and this day in Georgia is officially declared a day off, so that every resident can spend time alone with God and the church.

Christianity was adopted here in 337 AD. Georgia is the second country in the world to declare this religion a state religion. So Georgians are considered to be among the very first who accepted and began to spread Orthodoxy along the Black Sea coast.

According to legends, Saint Nino became the first preacher. It was she who became the first to whom the Virgin Mary appeared and endowed her with the gift of healing people and performing miracles. Thanks to Saint Nino, Tsar Mirian and his wife believed in God and declared Georgia an Orthodox country professing Christianity.

In Georgia, this day is called differently, Theophany, which means Epiphany in translation. On this day, the Holy Trinity appeared to the world when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River.

The celebrations begin on Christmas Eve. On the eve of January 19, divine services begin in churches, water is consecrated and prayers are offered. In Tbilisi, the Patriarch necessarily holds a liturgy in the Sameba Cathedral. Everyone comes to the temple to give thanks to God and say prayers.

Georgia is distinguished from other countries by the scale of this holiday. The day is declared a weekend. All residents strive to visit the church and stock up on holy water for the whole year.

Among the most striking traditions can be noted:

• mass baptism of infants by the Patriarch;
• night swimming in the sea;
• congratulations by godchildren of their godparents;
• the wedding of the newlyweds.

It is worth noting that on this day, unlike Christmas, they do not arrange huge feasts and feasts, although festive tables are undoubtedly laid in every house for a quiet family evening.

Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II in 2008, in order to increase the birth rate, introduced the tradition of baptizing the children of those who had previously been married in the church on the feast of Epiphany. The names of all the children are entered in a special church book, and the Patriarch himself is recognized as their godfather.

This idea has taken root perfectly in the country and has borne fruit: the demographic situation in the country has really begun to change for the better, and every year on January 19, more and more residents bring their children to the sacrament of Baptism.

Today Patriarch Elijah II has more than 45 thousand godchildren all over the country, and this is far from the limit.

Batumi has its own tradition, which marks the end of the holiday – swimming at night in the Black Sea. After the liturgy, representatives of the local clergy, guests from the government and officials present, as well as all parishioners go to the coast and perform a festive ablution in the sea waters.

Who was the founder of this tradition, there is no reliable information today. However, upon joining the Soviet Union, solemn events of all religious holidays were banned, and the resumption of the custom of night bathing in Adjara occurred only in the 90s of the XX century.