Christmas Alilo march held in Tbilisi
Alilo is a theatrical march involving participants in costumes. According to religious accounts, angels were the first to receive news of the birth of Christ. Photo: Salome Tsereteli/Agenda.ge
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Georgian citizens in the capital Tbilisi held the traditional celebratory Christmas march Alilo, a customary event involving children singing Christmas carols and walking through the streets, gathering presents to be later donated to charity.
Photo: Salome Tsereteli/Agenda.ge
The children dressed in the costumes of angels and shepherds with other marchers walked from the First Republic Square through a number of main avenues of the city, before reaching the Holy Trinity Church.
The marchers stopped at several locations receiving Christmas presents from the Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and MPs, as well as from the representatives of the Presidential Administration and the Patriarchate of Georgia.
Photo: Salome Tsereteli/Agenda.ge
Alilo is a theatrical march involving participants in costumes. According to religious accounts, angels were the first to receive news of the birth of Christ.
Photo: Salome Tsereteli/Agenda.ge
With roots dating back to the 5th century, Alilo was resurrected as a public celebration in 2000 by the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II and has been held annually across the country. Due to the pandemic, it has been cancelled for two years by the Patriarch’s initiative.
Photo: Salome Tsereteli/Agenda.ge
The Georgian Orthodox Church is celebrating Christmas today along with other members of the Orthodox world, due to the two-week difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars, to the latter of which Georgia adheres.
The Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II delivered his annual Christmas epistle ahead of Christmas mass last night at the Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi, in which he “especially” congratulated Ukrainian children, affected by the “severe” consequences of the war, on Christmas, as well as all Georgians and compatriots living abroad, highlighting the “utmost significance” of justice and unity as Georgia has been facing many challenges due to its “difficult” geopolitical risks.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Saturday congratulated “dear fellow citizens” on Orthodox Christmas, wishing them and their families health, peace and prosperity.
Vehicle traffic in select streets of Tbilisi will be restricted to allow holding of the annual alilo Christmas marches on Saturday, Tbilisi City Hall announced on Friday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday congratulated Georgian nationals of Armenian ethnic background, as well as citizens of Armenia, on the Orthodox Christmas and Epiphany celebrations.
Vehicle traffic will be restricted on certain streets of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi on Sunday to allow the holding of the traditional celebratory Christmas march Alilo, a customary event involving children singing Christmas carols and walking through the streets, gathering presents to be later donated to charity, Tbilisi City Hall announced on Saturday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday congratulated “all of Georgia” on Orthodox Christmas, wishing his compatriots and their families happiness, joy and progress.