Cheers!

One of my favorite things about Georgia is the people. It is evident that hospitality is an art that is cultivated through the generations. I have been fortunate enough to be able to attend a few Supras and it will never allow me to eat dinner with friends in the same way (watch out)!

When I first arrived in Georgia, I thought a Supra was just a dinner. I was so wrong. Yes, it is a place to eat (and eat and eat and eat), but it is also a time to celebrate friends and family, culture and traditions, and take time to be thankful for all we have. These are all things I know I do not spend enough time doing in the states.


So...after quizzing multiple guests at each Supra I attended, here is what I learned (with a few of my observations thrown in, of course):


A Supra is a traditional Georgian feast. The amount of food and drinks that are available during a Supra is unbelievable. The food is literally piled high on a table that seems to have no end. Guests sit for hours eating and drinking. It is not uncommon for a Supra to last until the wee hours of the morning. People may end up playing games, dancing, or in our case, listening to Emet play guitar (yeah!).


Each Supra is led by a Tamada or toastmaster. On large occasions, such as a wedding, the Tamada is chosen by the guests in advance. If the Supra is more intimate, say 20 people in someone's home, the host may take on the role. The Tamada must be an eloquent speaker, able to command the attention of the guests, and hold his liquor. Each Tamada has a "second". This man's responsibility is to add to or enhance the toast. He is never to initiate a toast without the Tamada's permission. When the Tamada begins a toast, the men stand. From my observation, they have a hefty amount of alcohol at each toast! Imagine the size of a juice glass filled with wine or liquor and downing it with each toast. It is considered a "sin", whether man or woman, to be at the table during a toast with an empty glass. As you can imagine, the night gets fun pretty quickly.


The few Supras I have attended, the Tamada toasted many, many times throughout the night. By the end of the evening, they had toasted each guest, people who have passed away, and Georgian historical events and even the beauty of the language. I have learned a great deal about the people who are with us at the Supras and about Georgia!


The last Supra we attended was at one of Emet's co-worker's dacha (thanks Jeff for helping me with the spelling!). A dacha is a second home away from the city. It is a place to get away for the weekends or the summer and avoid the heat and smog of Tbilisi. Georgians are big on clean air. My crazy idea is that if everyone stopped smoking, the air would be much cleaner in Tbilisi. But once again, I digress.


This dacha was adorable! It had a fireplace, an open oven (literally) in the kitchen where shashlik was cooking, a wine cellar/house out back, and was on the edge of a river. It was gorgeous!



These are some of Emet's colleagues. I don't know if you can see how much food was left on the table, but this was hours after everyone had finished eating.




So get those wine glasses ready and think of wonderful things to say...we may not do it completely Georgian style (I can't just sit all night and listen to my man talk!), but I am excited about having Supras in Virginia!