Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Long story short, I've been to Betania now (it's nice--up in the hills, small (2 monks, a heiromonk, and an archimandrite)--if a bit cold and a bit lacking in liturgics; they don't really have anyone who can chant too well, so almost everything is just intoned), and stayed a few days before being recalled to Ch'ik'aani. Apparently, to stay in the monasteries, I should have first gotten a blessing from the metropolitan (a bishop, for the information of the non-Orthodox), through I'm not fully sure why (as most of these monasteries, if not all, are outside his diocese, for one thing). On the upside, it means I'm spending Krist'esshoba at home, and in my home church here.
The service for Christmas was beautiful. Beginning around 10:30 or 11:00 (at night), it started with Great Compline, then Vigil, but starting at the Litya, then a procession with icons thrice around the Church, followed by the first, third, and sixth hours, and the Liturgy of Chrysostom (this particular parish, at least, doesn't make use of the available Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil first, though I know we'll be doing both for Theophany). The church was PACKED--one could barely move; I can say without a doubt I haven't been in a more packed church before. It was wonderful, though it also makes one a bit sad in wishing it was that way every Sunday. The annointing with Litya oil in Matins/Orthros took forever--the full canon, plus a bunch more, until, finally, the priest's exclamation at the Great Doxology. Like I said, it was wonderful. We got out at 3:30 and headed for our beds (though I would have been happy to stay up, having been ennervated by services, it seemed illogical when no one else was going to).
At 11:00 this morning, we went to the nearby village Gavazi to start to "Alilo." This means to process, with priest, censer in hand, in front, and then those in sticheria, then the chanters, then the rest, chanting Christmas hymns (and in many traditions also carrying baskets along the way to take up donations for those who need aid), chanting Christmas Hymns, the most commonly repeated one (which has a few variants) being
ოცდახუთსა დეკემბერსა
ქრისტე იშვა ბეთლემსაო და
ოჰო ჰოი ჰოი, ალილო!
otsdakhutsa dek'embersa
krist'e ishva betlemsao da
oho hoi hoi, alilo!
On the twenty-fifth of December,
Christ was born in Bethlehem--
Oho hoi hoi, alilo!
And all the rest of the verses. "Alilo" is a shortened form of "aliluia," and the English equivalent hereof is obvious. (Georgians seem to think this is a true chant, on par with all those used in the divine services of the Church, and suitible to be sung in Church--however, judging by things like "oho hoi hoi," the use of "alilo" instead of "aliluia," and "On the twenty-fifth of December" (as I don't know of any Orthodox hymn that mentions the date in the world on which it is celebrated--perhaps intentionally, as in the services, we are transported mystically into service on the eighth day, the day of completion in heaven which transcends created time), I sincerely doubt this is the case, but would guess that it is a devotional carol; some of the other things we sang are true chants of the Church, however.) So in Gavazi, then Ch'ik'aani, then Zinobiani (a very tiny village near Ch'ik'aani), we chanted this and processed:
And now? Suprisingly, I've had the rest of the afternoon free (I expected the supras to start earlier). In about fifteen minutes, I go to a friend and neighbor's for my first supra of the season--this one both for Christmas and his daughter's birthday, as both are today. Tomorrow, a supra at my house--today my family butchered our pig (that's also where my neighbor got the meat for his mtsvade (Georgian smoke-barbecued pork) that I'll be having tonight, incidentally). And I'm sure many more supras will soon follow in this joyous season [I can say now, as it's been a few days since I wrote this, that many have indeed come and gone, including the best of Georgian foods, as well as the best of Georgian toasts, which are truly from the heart].
I just wanted to quickly catch you up, and say "Merry Christmas:"
Christ is born! Glorify him!
Long story short, I've been to Betania now (it's nice--up in the hills, small (2 monks, a heiromonk, and an archimandrite)--if a bit cold and a bit lacking in liturgics; they don't really have anyone who can chant too well, so almost everything is just intoned), and stayed a few days before being recalled to Ch'ik'aani. Apparently, to stay in the monasteries, I should have first gotten a blessing from the metropolitan (a bishop, for the information of the non-Orthodox), through I'm not fully sure why (as most of these monasteries, if not all, are outside his diocese, for one thing). On the upside, it means I'm spending Krist'esshoba at home, and in my home church here.
The service for Christmas was beautiful. Beginning around 10:30 or 11:00 (at night), it started with Great Compline, then Vigil, but starting at the Litya, then a procession with icons thrice around the Church, followed by the first, third, and sixth hours, and the Liturgy of Chrysostom (this particular parish, at least, doesn't make use of the available Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil first, though I know we'll be doing both for Theophany). The church was PACKED--one could barely move; I can say without a doubt I haven't been in a more packed church before. It was wonderful, though it also makes one a bit sad in wishing it was that way every Sunday. The annointing with Litya oil in Matins/Orthros took forever--the full canon, plus a bunch more, until, finally, the priest's exclamation at the Great Doxology. Like I said, it was wonderful. We got out at 3:30 and headed for our beds (though I would have been happy to stay up, having been ennervated by services, it seemed illogical when no one else was going to).
At 11:00 this morning, we went to the nearby village Gavazi to start to "Alilo." This means to process, with priest, censer in hand, in front, and then those in sticheria, then the chanters, then the rest, chanting Christmas hymns (and in many traditions also carrying baskets along the way to take up donations for those who need aid), chanting Christmas Hymns, the most commonly repeated one (which has a few variants) being
ოცდახუთსა დეკემბერსა
ქრისტე იშვა ბეთლემსაო და
ოჰო ჰოი ჰოი, ალილო!
otsdakhutsa dek'embersa
krist'e ishva betlemsao da
oho hoi hoi, alilo!
On the twenty-fifth of December,
Christ was born in Bethlehem--
Oho hoi hoi, alilo!
And all the rest of the verses. "Alilo" is a shortened form of "aliluia," and the English equivalent hereof is obvious. (Georgians seem to think this is a true chant, on par with all those used in the divine services of the Church, and suitible to be sung in Church--however, judging by things like "oho hoi hoi," the use of "alilo" instead of "aliluia," and "On the twenty-fifth of December" (as I don't know of any Orthodox hymn that mentions the date in the world on which it is celebrated--perhaps intentionally, as in the services, we are transported mystically into service on the eighth day, the day of completion in heaven which transcends created time), I sincerely doubt this is the case, but would guess that it is a devotional carol; some of the other things we sang are true chants of the Church, however.) So in Gavazi, then Ch'ik'aani, then Zinobiani (a very tiny village near Ch'ik'aani), we chanted this and processed:
Looking forward from where I was standing. Note how the girls/women, while chanting are processing arm-in-arm. Georgians are much closer than our Western "personal space-bubble" society, and it's normal for friends (at least, for girls), to walk arm in arm, or even holding hands, down the street.
Yours truly.
Some pictures from the front, and especially of Mama Davit.
I just wanted to quickly catch you up, and say "Merry Christmas:"
Christ is born! Glorify him!
In Christ,
Teopile/Theophilos Porter
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