Georgia: Alilo procession 2014

Orthodox Christmas falls on Tuesday, January 7 this year, and is a national holiday in Georgia. The procession through the streets is called Alilo.

The date of December 25 in the Gregorian calendar falls on January 7 in the Julian calendar (the calendar that pre-dates the Gregorian one). There is little difference in the celebrations, except that the significance is on the blessing and not the gift. Christmas Day for the Orthodox is a time of peace and unity. The symbols are the fir tree and the star.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks banned Christmas celebrations. Many Orthodox Christians therefore celebrated Christmas on New Year’s Day, but in 1991 Christmas became an official holiday again. And to celebrate the day of Christmas, the Orthodox church in Georgia uses the Julian calendar, just as it does for all of its religious days.

There are also Orthodox churches in the United States and around the world that recognize the holiday dates according to the Julian calendar. The January 7 Christmas commenced in the year 1901 and will continue to 2100. From 2101 Christmas will fall on January 8 according to the Julian calendar. The Julian calendar was revised in 1923 and this version is more in line with the Gregorian calendar.

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