Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

New Year Traditions in Georgia

While the world celebrates the new year once a year Orthodox Christians celebrate it twice-old and new.

New Year's Eve ,,on 31st of December, Georgians meet with a decorated tree and a traditional, distinctive table. on the 14th of January, old new year,Georgians celebrate with traditional rituals.

In Georgia it is a tradition to meet New Year at home.Today many people celebrate New Year outside too.

In Georgia Mekvle is the person who first comes to the family after midnight and congratulates a New Year.

We call it ,,Mekvle.'".It was a tradition that Mekvle must bring "Khoncha" as a symbol of happiness and prosperity for the family.This tradition isn't as common as Chichilaki in the capital city.

When the clock strikes 12, everyone congratulates each other.

Georgians try to be generous. ''Supra''means a large table with various dishes. There are certain dishes traditionally made for New year celebration.

Chichilaki is a Georgian style Christmas tree. It is a symbol of sun and tree of life.

The tree is decorated with berries and sweets among decorations. Chichilaki is made from a large nut stick.

Satsivi- Turkey with walnut sauce.It's a mix of walnuts, cinnamon, coriander, herbs, spices, garlic.The dish is served cold.Tsivi means cold.

Basila is a sweet human shaped cake

It is a nearly forgotten custom, but a very interesting one.

Gozinaki -walnuts fried in honey, cooled and cut in rhombus shapes.

Churchkhela -the main ingredients are grapes,nuts, flour, almonds, walnuts and sometimes raisins.

A string dipped in grape juice and dried in shape

of sausages.

Khachapuri-Georgian cheese pastry.

It is a traditional dish of cheese-filled bread.

   How do we celebrate New Year today?

It is a tradition to meet festivity at home.

First, close relatives,then friends and other people congratulate each other.

Today many people meet New Year outside too.

Mekvle is the first person who enters the house after midnight. Georgians believe, that if the person is positive and lucky, our family will be prosperous. In the past it was a profession, they had a list of families where Mekvle was invited.

If something wrong happened, it meant that Mekvle was chosen badly.So, this profession was very important and responsible. Today, we always choose Mekvle and invite after midnight on New Year's Eve or the following day.

We have a tradition to welcome the New Year at home

Sometimes people go out with friends only after midnight and celebrate it with family. Georgians' feast is tasty and distinctive.The main dish is Satsivi, Georgian sweets such as

Churchkhela and Gozinaki must be on the table.

Georgians celebrate New Year with Georgian wine.

that makes New year's feast more interesting and festive.

At 12 o'clock Georgians always open champagne.

Shooting outside from a gun at midnight was a tradition on the new year.

But today people shoot fireworks and not guns.

Georgians believe that they must meet New Year

in a noisy atmosphere.

It means that life enters in our lives.

Old New Year is especially popular in Guria Region,

the western part of Georgia.

They call New Year celebration "Kalanda" and it's more important than traditional New Year on January the 1st.

It still exists and is living as an old tradition.

In Guria and mostly in western part of Georgia, the main part of the new year celebration is a Georgian tree called "Chichilaki" made from walnut branches to form a small coniferous tree.

New Year for Georgian people is a family festivity.

Nowadays, people find clubs and concerts to celebrate New Year.

However, the whole family gets together, drink champagne at twelve o'clock at home.

Outside the houses,they shoot fireworks.

The table is laid out.The family sits together.

Everyone tries to visit as many friends and relatives as possible, or call at least wishing health,happiness and prosperity.

Compiled by pupils from 4g and 4 d graders

Public School N207/Georgia,Tbilisi

This book is dedicated to our friends from common

e-Twinning project!

Ukraine,Zaporizhia, Gymnasium №2 ,named after Lesia Ukrainka.

New Year’s Day, is a national public holiday in Ukraine.

Ukrainians like to celebrate New Year with friends and family.

 We  usually celebrate New Year with families ,because New Year is a family holiday.

We  like this Happy New Year time because we don't go to school and spend our free time with families and friends and like watching Christmas films , read the Christmas books , drink hot chocolate with sweets and being happy  .  Happy New Year and Marry Christmas from Ukraine! Students from 4A

New Year's Activities: Parties here, there, everywhere!

Students 4 B

Its a time of great fun in Ukraune , which is celebrated on the 19 th of December.Children write letters to St. Nicholas and expect for a miracle. We usually make ukrainian " Mikolajchiky" and wait for presents.

1.Christmas is one of the most popular  holidays in Ukraine. 

2.Ukrainian Christmas will be in the house on January 7th each year.

3 The period from January 7 to January 14 is a festive week in Ukraine.

4.During this week people often dress up in traditional clothes (Vyshyvanka), visit their relatives, sing Christmas carols (e.g. Kolyadka), and have festive dinners with the family.