The tall person told me that today is a public holiday in Georgia. It is called Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba. Mtskheta was the capital of Georgia before Tbilisi and Svetitskhovloba is its cathedral. The holiday celebrates the founding of the cathedral, which was built on the grave of a woman called Sidonia who was buried with part of Jesus’ robe. It is one of the holiest places in Georgia and ten of Georgia’s kings are buried there.
Many people practice a ten-hour fast before having a large traditional meal in the early evening. We didn’t have a fast in our house but we did have a traditional barbecue feast.
You will see from the picture that I waited (im)patiently for the meat to cook!
I can confirm that it was worth the wait.
Happy holiday!