The history books first mention the Georgian culture and the presence of indigenous people on this territory sometime between 100,000-50,000 B.C. Throughout the long history, there were ups and downs, “golden” periods and invasions, but the country managed to survive. Therefore, this gives Georgian people a solid reason to be very proud of their history and culture.
As part of your New Chapter in Life travels, let’s put the books aside and talk about the people. This is where their eyes become shiny instantly and they talk about their Georgian culture passionately and endlessly.
Alphabet (ქართული)
Every Georgian knows that the Georgian alphabet is one of the world’s earliest and most unique alphabets.
Literature
The earliest surviving piece of Georgian Hagiography was created in the late 5th century. Contrary to the fact that kids hate learning it at school, after graduating they are very proud of it. However, the true masterpiece Georgian people own is the fictional poem, “The Knight in the Panther’s skin”. It was written in the 12th century and is translated into more than thirty languages.
Wine
Georgia has been the home of wine-making for at least 8000 years. If you are in Georgia, drink wine, and some more wine, and a little bit more. Also, don’t be surprised if they offer you wine not with ordinary glass, but, vessel, horn or anything else, depends on how creative the host is. During traditional fiestas (“supra”), be aware that you should only drink wine after the toast has been made by “Tamada” (the fiesta leader).
Additionally, you should know that they drink beer to toast their enemies. This is surprisingly unique to the Georgian culture, of course.
Cuisine
Be very careful if you are trying to compare the food you eat in Georgia to any food you have eaten anywhere. Say “Khachapuri is like Pizza” or “Khinkali looks like Butaman” and you will end up listening to a lecture from any Georgian how wrong you are. Keep in mind, if they offer you food in Eastern Georgia, take it immediately or they will not offer again. In contrast, if they offer you food in Western Georgia no matter how many times you refuse, the host will still force you to eat. Moreover, it is even considered polite to refuse at least once.
Folk music and dances
As if they were not proud enough, UNESCO recognized Georgian polyphonic music as a masterpiece of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. As for the dances, every Georgian knows the story of the “Sukhishvilebi” ensemble, performing in the airport for the customs officers who were not letting them in with swords.
Hospitality
Famous words from the Georgian culture: “A guest is a gift from God”. Just knock on any door and you will get food, wine, a cozy bedroom and everything you need. But, come on, don’t take advantage of this.
Architecture
If you see the castle, a transparent police building and a “puri” shop (bakery), you instantly know you are in a Georgian town. Georgia is full of towers, castles, churches, and fortifications. However, people in the mountains still live in the towers and that’s why these areas are so popular among tourists.
