How the dead are welcomed in Georgia

There is silence in the village of Lengeri.

The sun rarely peeks out from behind a thin but dense layer of clouds, pine-covered hills rise above old stone towers. The only sound that rolls like thunder through the deserted streets is the barking of a Caucasian shepherd dog named Lev. This is how she meets every random passerby.

The emptiness in the streets is quite justified, because all the residents have gone home. On one day of each year, the inhabitants of the Svaneti mountains gather with their families to greet relatives and friends who left this world prematurely.

According to the Orthodox calendar, which is followed by most residents of Georgia, there are several days on which it is customary to pray for the souls of the deceased. But Lipanali Day is one of a kind — a tradition unique only to the mountain villages of Svaneti. Lipanali starts every year on January 18 and ends on the first Monday after the start. Therefore, the time allotted to greet the dead is always different.

Dali Haptani from the village of Lengeri takes the tradition extremely seriously: "Today it is customary to arrange a circus from traditional holidays, but this old holiday, even if dedicated to death, has its own special beauty," she says.

Until the end of the 90s, Svaneti had a reputation as a wild place governed by traditions and laws of blood feud. Some of the rumors are exaggerated, some are true. But today, thanks to passable roads and the growth of tourism, Svaneti is more known as an ideal place for hiking, culinary discoveries and a region with an impressive UNESCO architectural heritage.

Icons and candles stand in the small local Langeri Church.

Dali Haptani breaks off a green branch for a welcoming "hearth".

Dali cooks homemade bread.

Each family conducts Lipanaly in its own way. Dali Haptani and her family celebrate the first day of the traditional holiday with lean food — no meat, fish, dairy or fatty foods. Despite such restrictions, two tables — one for adults, the other for children who have left this world — are bursting with dishes: homemade bread, local fruits, spicy beans, nut jam, berry compote, stewed zucchini, rice and plum syrup.

Setting the table, Dali chooses a green branch and sets it on fire so that the souls of the deceased gather around this hospitable "hearth". A woman lights candles and says a simple prayer, remembering everyone who left the world: friends, relatives, children, acquaintances, everyone she knew and had never heard of. She asks that their afterlife be peaceful. Then Dali spills some homemade wine and vodka on the floor and makes a toast: "To those who have left us, and those who are still with us."

A large number of ceremonies take place throughout the week. On the second day, poultry or cattle are usually slaughtered. Later, families go to the cemetery. Along the way, they spill milk so that the spirits do not walk on a dirty path.

There are legends about meetings with the souls of the dead. They say that if you meet a spirit, you can't talk to him in any case — it's better to just acknowledge his presence. And if Dali Haptani has never met with the souls of the deceased, then other members of her family have such an experience.

Perhaps this is due to the fact that death has always been closer to the inhabitants of Svaneti. Despite the new roads and seemingly solid communications with the rest of the country, life in the mountains is still harsh. Residents of Langeri swear that 26 people died last winter in one of the highland villages. Residents could not leave the house because of the snow storm.

Of course, not everything is so gloomy in Svaneti. "It's just a way to remember," says Dali. Against the background of gloomy, foggy landscapes, the family hearths of local residents are always warm. And despite the fact that they remember the dead on Lipanali, life is in full swing for the inhabitants themselves.