Some traditional family celebrations of Abkhazian people

A holiday is primary form of human culture. Value of a holiday is determined by the value system uniting society. The holiday is universal and major line of a civilization; at the same time features of holidays reflect distinctions between civilizations.

The calendar nature of a holiday will approve rhythms of human life and rhythms of the Universe, helps to make a choice for benefit of an order, a sense, life and against chaos and death. The holiday is connected with the idea of existence of the certain perfect life essentially different from the grounded everyday life. The festive culture therefore often includes temporary refusal from the accepted in the society of standards of behavior, temporary deleting or a turning of social hierarchy.

Abkhazian holidays are the most important elements of tradition and in this quality play a role of the stabilizer of society, saving and transferring socially important information from generation to generation [1]. Participation in holidays acquaints members of the Abkhazian society with accepted standards and values of ethnos. Abkhazian holidays represent social integration mechanisms and is the stabilizer of the existing public order.

Traditional family celebrations are the form of holidays and act as a religious aspect of the life of Abkhazian people. They present upbringing and reeducation functions that plays an important role in Abkhazian culture [2].

As many other ancient nations Abkhazian people highly respect their elders and this fact distinguishes all Caucasians from other nationalities. When a child comes into the room the old man rises in honour of this child, showing his respect. They say children are the future of mankind and as elders behave they will behave in the same way in the future.

During several thousand centuries a lot of civilizations and cultures were mixing here. In spite of all difficulties the standard, the pivot and the ideal of behaviour was their etiquette, their rich spiritual world which is built on the high morality which is called “Apsuara”.

There is the main thing in the foundation of the Abkhazian culture. That is the respect of elders, the authorities. and from this other traditions are spread: hospitality, great love to nature and protection of nature as well as improving the world around us, defense of the country, respect and appreciation of roots, faithfulness to the given world, dignity and honour and love to native places.

There are seven sacred places in Abkhazia [3]. One of them is “Lapirnikha”. It is located between two villages called Barmish and Blaburkhva. The Tsimtsbas, the Abidzhbas, the Dbars and the Pkins worship this sacred place and honour it. This shrine is on the hill. And people who honour this place live around the hill. On the last Thursday of summer the shrines keeper from the Tsimtsba family rises to this hill. He stays there for ten days and carries out the rite. In ten days on Saturday we from the Abidzhba family bake big cheese pies. Married women must cook cheese pies with oregano for each person of the family. For this celebration each family opens a new barrel of red wine.

First of all the head of the family lights a candle and prays for health and prosperity. After that he begins to carry out the rite for each person of the family. Neither a mother nor a wife takes part in this ceremony. At last all members of the family sit at the table and have a big dinner. After worship rite in all the houses the shrines keeper goes down from the hill.

Abkhazians have another very important celebration called “Azhira” (“smithy” from Abkhazian) [4]. Some of the Abidzhbas family doesn’t have an azhira in the garden. They celebrate this holiday after January 13 on the first Monday or Thursday.

Early in the morning the head of the family goes to azhira and sets to rights that place. Later at night he goes there again with cheese pies and wine and carries out the ceremony called “Apkhinnihara”. After that the men of the family slaughter the goat and cook it for each member. In the evening the father and his children go to azhira. They take the liver of the goat and cock it together. The father lights candles for each person of the family. Returning home he asks God for health and prosperity for his mother and wife which have no right to come close to his place.

It is necessary to mention family celebrations are very numerous and different in Abkhazian culture. They represent many century old traditions of Abkhazian people and are worthy to study.