On Christmas morning, an Alilo procession brings the streets of Tbilisi to life: children, parents and singers join their voices in “Otsdakhutsa dekembersa…” (“On the twenty-fifth of December…”). Alilo is one of the most beautiful Georgian Christmas traditions — and for children, probably the most joyful one. Georgian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on 7 January. Let’s find out where this custom comes from, how it was celebrated in the past, and recall the words of the song.
Contents
- What is Alilo
- History and the name
- The lyrics of Alilo
- Regional versions
- Alilo today and children
- Frequently asked questions
What is Alilo
According to the Georgian Wikipedia, Alilo is a traditional Georgian ritual song that in the past was performed on Christmas Eve. Because the song is sung in three-part harmony, at least three men had to gather. The singers went from house to house, visiting every family and congratulating them on the holiday with a song. The words of Alilo are full of wishes of health, happiness and abundance for the hosts.
History and the name
- Gifts: the host rewarded the carol singers with food. According to Wikipedia, they had to be given an egg, a symbol of life and fertility. An article published on orthodoxy.ge lists money, flour, clarified butter, nuts, meat and, of course, eggs;
- Belief: according to the same source, people believed that sending the carol singers away without a gift would bring a lack of abundance to the household;
- The name: the name “Alilo” itself seems to be later and comes from the word “Alleluia”, which, as explained on orthodoxy.ge, means “let us praise God”. Wikipedia also notes that the song is based on a pre-Christian melody;
- Interruption and revival: this beautiful tradition was interrupted only once, after the Sovietization of Georgia, but in the 1990s it was revived by Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II.
The lyrics of Alilo
Here is the best-known version, published on orthodoxy.ge, followed by a free English translation:
ოცდახუთსა დეკემბერსა
ქრისტე იშვა ბეთლემსაო.
ანგელოზები გალობენ:
„დიდება მაღალთა შინა“.
ეს რომ მწყემსებმა გაიგეს,
მივიდნენ და თაყვანი სცეს მას.
ჩიტი ღობეზე შემოჯდა,
იძახოდა ქრისტეშობას.
ცაზე ვარსკვლავი გამოჩნდა,
შობის მახარობელიო.
ალათასა, ბალათასა,
ხელი ჩავკარ კალათასა,
შიგ რომე ვერა ვიპოვე-რა,
ღმერთი მოგცემს ბარაქასა.
ოცდახუთსა დეკემბერსა
ქრისტე იშვა ბეთლემსაო.
Free translation:
On the twenty-fifth of December
Christ was born in Bethlehem.
Angels are singing:
“Glory in the highest.”
When the shepherds heard this,
they came and worshipped Him.
A bird landed on the fence,
calling out the news of Christmas.
A star appeared in the sky,
herald of the Nativity.
Alatasa, balatasa,
I put my hand into the basket,
and found nothing in it —
may God grant you abundance.
On the twenty-fifth of December
Christ was born in Bethlehem.
The “25 December” mentioned in the song follows the old calendar, which corresponds to 7 January in today’s style. You can read more about this in the article on the Nativity of Christ (in Georgian).
Regional versions
In every corner of Georgia, Alilo was sung with its own charm. For example, on orthodoxy.ge you can find this Meskhetian version:
ალილო და აქა ალილო,
ალილო და აქა შობა,
ღმერთმა ბევრი გაგითენოთ
შობა-ახალწელიწადი…
ჩვენ მათხოვრები არა ვართ,
ვართ ქრისტეს მახარობლები.
In short: “May God let you see many more Christmases and New Years. We are not beggars — we are the messengers of Christ.”
The Megrelian version ends with warm words: “You gave us coins — may your children be blessed.”
Alilo today and children
As Wikipedia tells us, today Alilo is celebrated after the festive Christmas liturgy, when parishioners of different churches join a common procession. If you plan to attend Alilo with a child, keep a few things in mind:
- learn one or two verses of the song together in advance;
- following tradition, prepare a small basket with nuts and sweets;
- dress warmly, as the procession takes place on a frosty January morning;
- after Alilo, send your loved ones a Christmas greeting (Georgian Christmas greetings).
Frequently asked questions
What does “Alilo” mean?
The name is believed to come from the word “Alleluia”, which means “let us praise God”.
When is Alilo sung?
In the past it was traditionally performed on Christmas Eve; today it is sung during a festive procession after the Christmas liturgy.
Why are the carol singers given an egg?
According to Wikipedia, the egg is considered a symbol of life and fertility.
Related Georgian traditions
Another symbol of the Georgian winter holidays is the hand-carved hazelnut “tree”: read about the Chichilaki, the Georgian Christmas tree.
