Georgians bring food to a graveyard on Easter

As with other eastern Orthodox countries, it is common for Georgians to honour their deceased relatives by taking food and wine to cemeteries, and having feasts beside the graves. After Easter Sunday, locals visit graveyards to pay respect to their dead relatives. This custom has a sacred meaning for many Georgians. During Soviet rule, churches were closed; therefore, the only place people could light a candle for their loved ones would be in graveyards. Even today, the tradition still remains.

As Easter symbolizes eternal life, Georgians do celebrate it with their entire families, dead or living. Visiting graveyards of relatives is a way of letting them know they are remembered and that Christ has risen.

It’s habitual to give a toast in respect of those who have passed away. After drinking, locals pour a small amount of wine on the grave, which is called “knocking over a goblet.” It’s a way of expressing a hope that in the afterlife, they will be remembered by their living relatives and won’t be alone.