Alilo

Alilo is a Georgian ritual song. It is performed on Christmas Eve. Some people would gather (at least three, as it is a polyphonic song in three voices) and visit the families in the neighborhood and congratulate them on the holiday by singing. Hosts would present the singers with food (the mandatory attribute was an egg- the symbol of life and fertility). Alilo’s texts (“Otsdakhutsa Dekembersa “[ “On the 25th of December”], “Chiti Ghobeze Shemojda” [“A Bird Sat on the Fence”], “Tsiskvils Puri Davarige” [“I Ground Wheat in the Mill], etc.) expressed the wish of health, happiness and wealth. Alilo was spread throughout the whole of Georgia, and it was performed differently in each region. The song is based on a pagan melody; it seems the song received its name, Alilo, later (from Halleluiah).

Literature: ქართული ხალხური სიტყვიერება (ქრესთომათია), შედგ. და გამოც. ქს. სიხარულიძის მიერ, თბ., 1970.

K. Sikharulidze

T. Mamaladze