(7 Jan 2023)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tbilisi, Georgia - 7 January 2023
1. Wide Christmas charity procession
2. Mid charity procession
3. Close children on cart
4. Mid children on cart
5. Mid flags
6. Mid procession
7. Wide procession
8. Mid children being given sweets for charity
9. Mid children marching dressed in church garments
10. Mid procession
11. SOUNDBITE (Georgian) Archibishop Ioane:
"Of course, this procession is a joy, we want to rejoice that Jesus was born in Betlehem. This is the the celebration and with this procession we congratulate each other. Christ was born to bring peace, as angels sang when Christ was born -"Glory to god in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.” So, the most important is to have kindness among people and peace."
12. Close sweets being given to children
13. Mid priests walking with Virgin icon being carried in the background, zoom in
14. Wide procession
15. Mid procession
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of Georgians marched through the streets of the capital Tbilisi on Saturday in a traditional charity procession on Orthodox Christmas day.
The tradition of the Alilo procession dates back centuries when after the Christmas mass the congregation walked the streets to collect charity.
During Soviet times, Alilo, as well as the celebration of Christmas, was banned. The tradition was restored only in 2000 and gained in popularity.
Since then, every Christmas day, people dressed in traditional church garments or costumes symbolising scenes of the nativity, walk the streets to collect donations for orphans.
Even bulls and donkeys are brought to Tbilisi from the nearby villages to participate in Alilo.
The procession passes through the central streets of Tbilisi where citizens and members of the government and the president donate sweets.
The Charity procession ends with prayes at Trinity Cathedral.
This year Alilo was also held in all major cities in Georgia.
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