Georgia Recognition

Chair for the toastmaster, Tbilisi, Georgia.

“… and now, we must mention… Georgia!”

By this point in the evening, you have been through many toasts already. But there is always room for one more, because in Georgia, one toast is never enough. Sit down for a supra (feast) with family and friends, and you encounter a tradition that is as much about recognizing the people around the table as eating the food placed upon it.

You have entered the realm of the tamada (toastmaster). If the meal has a special significance, then someone will be hired for the occasion. More often, it will be a senior member of the family or group. At a supra I attended, a gathering of family and friends in a spacious restaurant on the outskirts of Tbilisi, the uncle took on the role of tamada.

Before anything is served, and glasses are filled for the first of what would be many toasts, the tamada makes a point of greeting and introducing everyone around the table, individually, whether they are close family members or guests. The first toast is then given by the host to the tamada.

And then the toasting begins in earnest, as much if not more of an event than the meal itself. The first, in honor of the gathering and why it has been brought together. The second, to thank the family who is hosting, recognizing their generosity. The third, a toast to parents, husbands and wives, and partners. The fourth, a toast to ancestors, descendants, and those who are no longer with us; a bridge between past, present, and future. The fifth is for Georgia itself. The sixth for shared memories, even things that seemed bittersweet at the time, but can now be fondly remembered. And the seventh and most important, a toast to each individual present, celebrating them for who they are and for their unique achievements.

Everyone around the table is then given the opportunity to respond to the tamada, and offer their own toast in turn. As you can imagine, by this stage toasting has become competitive, with everyone trying to upstage each other, and offer ever more creative and fulsome tributes. This is toasting as you have never seen it before or elsewhere; and if you want to leave before it is over, then get ready to negotiate with the tamada, who will implore you to stay for just one more toast: for the ancestors, for the children, for Georgia!

A small but strategically significant country, nestled between Asia and Europe, and fought over throughout its history by neighboring superpowers, Georgians love to recognize their colorful history, and what makes them unique. Once the toasts at a supra have finally been exhausted, the folklore singing begins. Just as there is a toast for everything and everyone, there is a Georgian folk song for anything you could think of: healing, work, marriage, travel, and dance; songs in honor of God, Georgia, peace, love, long life, and friendship, following a tradition that is thought by some to be as much as three thousand years old. Georgia’s language is as ancient and distinctive as its music, with a unique thirty-three-letter alphabet that has been recognized as a cultural artifact by UNESCO. Georgian: ქართული ენა

Surrounded by much bigger powers than itself, Georgians revel in their ability to make their mark. A country of only four million people can feel, thanks to its influence, like one three or four times the size. In Russia, you will find Georgians aplenty on TV, as leading doctors, artists, musicians, and authors. What stands out most powerfully is how people are positively determined to focus on each other’s strengths, accomplishments, and capabilities. It is about recognizing the best in people, and gaining a perspective that can also help you see the best in yourself: exactly the sort of ethos that you need to build empowered, successful teams. It is a healthy outlook on life that you need, whether you are trying to be a good parent, teacher, or business leader. It is about self-esteem, respect for others, and ultimately dwelling less on what you can’t do and focusing on what you can do and do well.