Footprints Recruiting

What in the world is a Supra?

Georgia Information - Culture in Georgia

The Supra- Social Glue, Foreigners’ Worry

Any event of significance in Georgia; the purchase of the winter’s firewood, arrival and departure of old friends, weddings, funerals, and birthdays, is celebrate by holding a supra- essentially a large feast with traditional toasting and drinking. The table is prepared, with the host bringing out their best dishes, cutlery, and decorations. Seating is arranged- the tamada, the toastmaster, at the head of the table, and the guests of honor arranged around him. On most occasions this will be mainly the men, although with the volunteer teacher program this is changing. The women of the family, their friends, and neighbors, have been preparing the food for days, and it is to be abundant and delicious; plates of khatchapuri, lobiani, fried chicken and fish. Bowls of badrijoni, phkhali, and sulguni. And dish after dish of desert cakes, candies, and sweets. All of these are literally piled one on another all across the table, with more being brought in throughout the meal. Among this mountain of abundance are pitchers of green wine and glasses for everyone.

When everyone is seated, the tamada makes sure everyone has a glass of wine, and he begins the toasting. There are specific rituals to making the toasts; starting with the church, and preceding through the family, children, the departed, ancestors, and depending on the occasion- the ones being honored. Being a tamada is serious business; there are unspoken rules guiding the toasts, and the tamada is expected to bring poetry to the language, emotional emphasis, and intimacy to them. A good tamada can have everyone spell-bound, and by the last toasts, even crying. After the toast, everyone drinks a glass of wine, and you are expected to drink the whole glass. This is a measure of pride among the suphra men, and can be a very serious and difficult experience for visiting foreigners, especially males; the subtle pressure to keep up with the men, to drink as much as they do, and to get into the emotional frame of mind, can make you very, very drunk by the end of the evening. When you first arrive it is easier to decline, since you are new to the culture, but if you attend many supras this pressure can become extreme, and you will have to figure out ways to deal with the social pressure, or you will surely fall down when you try to stand up from the table.

After the tamada has made a toast, one of the men around the table will tell an anecdote, following the theme of the toast. This too, can be very beautiful and emotional, especially when it concerns children, the departed and close friends. As a guest you are not expected to contribute to these reminisces, in fact, it is wiser to not say anything during them if you’re not aware of what’s being said. These are not about thanking your hosts, or telling a joke. The men take them seriously, and until you understand how the conversation flows around the toast, the social hierarchy at the table, and occasion being celebrated, it is best to watch and marvel.

Then the eating starts; dishes are passed around, everyone encouraging you to eat, eat, eat. Bread is piled on your plate, along with the best pieces of chicken, scoops of vegetables and cheese. No one expects you to eat it all, but it is their hospitality and pride in their culture that they want you to feel. It’s best to just nibble at things, drink lots of water, and try as many of the dishes as you want. And then it is time for another toast! This can go on for hours. At major celebrations- weddings, and such, the suphra can last all through the night, as more food is brought out, your plate is replaced, and the men take turns telling anecdotes. It is both exhilarating and exhausting!

But it is the glue that holds family, village, and country together. In Tbilisi and Kutaisi it is losing favor among the younger urbanites, with its emphasis on drinking, tradition, and family values, but in the villages it is still extremely important. As a guest to their culture, and especially as a male among their males, it behooves you to participate in this fascinating tradition, and don’t be afraid to say, “Ghvino meti ar minda!”- I don’t want any more wine! Gagimarjos!