Georgia celebrates Saint George’s Day

Orthodox Christians in Georgia are today celebrating Saint George’s Day, one of the most significant days in the country’s religious calendar.

The majority of the Georgian population is Orthodox Christian, making celebrations of the date - known as Giorgoba - a public holiday in the country.

Festive liturgy is being held at churches across the country, including the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the capital city of Tbilisi.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Saint George’s Day twice a year, on May 6 and November 23 (according to the Julian calendar). November 23 marks the day when Saint George was tortured on the wheel.

The legend of Saint George says he was born in the latter part of the third century CE to a Greek Christian noble family in Lydda, Palestine.

After his father’s death, he enlisted in the Roman Army and by his late 20s was promoted to the rank of Tribunus and joined the imperial guard of the Emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia, the eastern capital city of the Roman Empire.

During the year 303 CE, Emperor Diocletian summoned his officers and instructed them to persecute the Christians in the empire. George refused the order, and was tortured and beheaded as punishment.

Orthodox Christian believers consider Saint George to be the patron saint of the country, leading to a popularity of the name for boys born in families practicing faith. In 2023 alone, 722 newborns were named Giorgi, with 193,438 individuals registered with the name in total with the Public Service Development Agency of Georgia.