LAMPROBA 2024

On February 14, the Lamprob holiday was celebrated in Mestia.

Lamproba is a folk holiday to celebrate Mirkma, which the Svans have preserved to this day under the name of Lamproba. The word "lampari" means light, warmth, the cone of the lampari is made of wood. In Svaneti, the birch tree is also called the sacred tree.

The first reports about Lamprob are described in the "Life of Kartli". According to Ivane Javakhishvili's "History of the Georgian Nation", lamproba was a widespread tradition throughout Georgia, although the ritual preserved its original form only in Svaneti.

Ritual materials:

Birch tree lamps - Svans go to the forest in autumn and cut birch trees. They make as many lamps from wood as there are men in the family. The lamp should be dried until February, so that it burns well during the day.

Why birch tree? According to legend, Christ was chased by thugs. He was protected from evildoers by a birch tree standing on the road, it dropped its branches and sheltered the Savior. Christ blessed the tree and promised that it would be used to represent the human soul.

Lemziri - for today, the housewife of the family in Svaneti prepares lemziris. Lemzir is bread offered in the name of some deity or patron saint. Svan lemzirs are baked with cheese filling.

In Svaneti, they are preparing especially for the lighting. It is mandatory to have peace in the family. Svans believe that God will not sacrifice a lamp brought with a broken heart.

Traditionally, locals and interested guests went to the graves to light lamps at dusk, and then attended a performance dedicated to this holiday in Mestia Adventure Park, organized by Svaneti DMO.

The guests who came to the place also got to know the Svan folklore and the traditions of the mentioned holiday.