BBC includes Georgian Christmas march in pictures of Orthodox celebrations around the world
Selected by BBC, the photograph representing the celebrations in the capital city of Tbilisi showed participants of the march. Photo from BBC
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The BBC on Sunday published a photo report of January 7 celebrations marking the Orthodox Christmas around the world, with the selections featuring Alilo, the annual march of children across Georgia who sing carols while walking through streets to gather presents for charities.
Selected by the broadcaster, the photograph representing the celebrations in the capital city of Tbilisi showed participants of the march.
Children dressed in the costumes of angels and shepherds walked from the First Republic Square in Tbilisi through a number of main avenues of the city, before reaching the Holy Trinity Church, the main cathedral in the city for the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Photo: Salome Tsereteli/Agenda.ge
With roots dating back to the 5th century CE, Alilo was resurrected as a public celebration by Ilia II, the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia, in 2000 and has been held annually across the country.
Photo: Salome Tsereteli/Agenda.ge
The BBC also said over 200 million Christians around the world were associated with Orthodox Churches and most celebrated Christmas on January 7 due to their religious followings adhering to the Julian calendar, unlike the denominations that follow the Gregorian calendar and mark the date on December 25.
Georgian citizens in the country’s 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.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Sunday congratulated “every Georgian and every Orthodox family worldwide” on Merry Christmas, wishing well-being and love for Georgia and all the families celebrating Christmas today.
The world has always been contradictory, but today's conflicts and wars pose “a real danger of turning into a global catastrophe and destroying all of humanity”. That is why we should all care for peace, the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II said in his annual Christmas epistle ahead of Christmas mass last night.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday congratulated “all of Georgia” on Orthodox Christmas, wishing his compatriots and their families happiness, joy and progress.