ALILO

A colourful procession fills the central streets of Tbilisi, Georgia every January when Georgia’s Christian Orthodox community celebrates Christmas. Children and adults dressed in national costume marched through the streets holding church flags and singing the Christmas carol ‘Alilo,’ collecting gifts for charity on their way. The gifts are traditionally distributed to orphanages. The word ‘Alilo’ in Georgian means ‘glory to God’ and its tradition dates back to the fifth century.