In the midst of Holiday Season

Holiday season in Georgia is a serious business. First - it's long. If you're a Catholic, it starts on December 24th and continues till..... well, it still hasn't finished, and for a week or two everyone will be still celebrating. So you have to be strong, have a good stomach - or some "Mezym Forte" and mineral water at hand...And don't think that I am joking - food is another serious thing about holidays. Special dishes for New Year, two three layers on the tables, then turn for a roasted gochi (piglet) on Christmas, Jan 7th, and lots of guests/visiting each other in between of those days - so the table is always laid and ready for someone to sit! Even though I did have 12 dishes on Christmas Eve, as we are used in Lithuania, it was nothing comparing to New Year - and I have no idea what is awaiting on Christmas!.. Fiesta to all gourmands, which makes me understand the meaning of fasting.....

There are a couple of other things that I noticed here and that got me intrigued. For example, most Georgians have the fake Christmas trees at home, not the real ones. At first it looked strange, but on the other hand... someone has to grow those specially, in order that there would be enough and people wouldn't cut the precious forests. So to save the trees, there is a point in that. Actually, you can get the real Christmas trees too - but only few days before New Year. And there is another option - to buy a stick covered with live branches; they are tied in a way to look like a real Christmas tree. Original?

Georgians also have their own Christmas tree, called chichilaki (ჩიჩილაკი). It is made from straight hazelnut branches, shaved into a form of a curly little tree. Here is a good BBC piece on it. I find it kind of lovely - and it's certainly the area, where Georgians are environment friendly. Which means - it can work.