Dzheorguib - the day of St. George

Nyjas-UastirjiGeorguiba is the day of St. George or, as it is called by the Ossetians, Uastirji (Uaskergi). It is celebrated annually in the last week of November and lasts for a week, sometimes jokingly called the Ossetian Olympic Games. It begins on Monday, and on the Sunday before the start of the holiday, according to tradition, each family sacrifices to God some animal (ox, sheep). This day is called "GalerGavden."
Ossetians, honor their Dzuars (saints), but a particularly honorable place in the pantheon of Ossetian saints, is occupied by Uastirji - the patron of men, travelers, the defender of the weak and disadvantaged, the teacher of youth. Ossetian, wherever he is and whatever he does, will certainly enlist the support of Uastirji. At the table, the first toast is traditionally pronounced to the Almighty, the second to his messenger Uastirji. The head of the family entrusts his care to his family, family and asks for prosperity, peace and happiness for all. In each house during the week, neighbors, friends, relatives necessarily come.
In the pantheon of Ossetian deities, St. George is the only one who communicates with the people, leads the same way of life as a simple mountaineer. He is the mediator between God and man. The place of Uastirji is heaven. God is the one who asks for the poor and for the poor. They turned to him in various circumstances of life; he sent illnesses to guilty people; they cursed him in his name, blessed each other. Uastirji gave life to Satan, the heroine of the Nartian epic, who is the personification of the wisdom and beauty of the Ossetian woman. The people are considered the patron of Ossetia and mainly men - travelers and soldiers. Before the battle, the Ossetian soldiers necessarily offered prayers to their patron, asking to protect them from the swords of the enemy. Hundreds of large and small sanctuaries were built in his honor throughout the republic. In the city of Degara (former village Christianovskoye) 15 years ago a miracle happened. Several people claimed to have seen St. George. The elder on a white horse descended from heaven and landed on the roof of one of the houses, stayed here for some time and flew away. The whole of Ossetia believed this miracle, and from that moment next to the house on the roof of which St. George allegedly visited, a sanctuary was built and another monument to the heavenly patron of the republic was erected.
People have endowed the beloved deity with the best human qualities to show their good disposition, they call it “Golden Uastirji”, “Great Uastirji”, “Golden Wing Uastirji”, etc. In their imagination, he appears as a tall, slender gray-bearded man sitting on a white horse. Women, not daring to pronounce his name, turn to him “Lagty Dzuar” – “Protector of men”, but they do not complain about this, because their men are also travelers and warriors under the eye of Uastarji, and the well-being of husbands is the guarantee of peace and prosperity in the family.
In Ossetia there is no such gorge, such a village, where there was no sanctuary in honor of Uastirji. Especially famous are the River, Nyhas, Kob, Khurkhor, Dzuggis, Khetag Grove, the sanctuary of Digor Uastirji and the sanctuary of Jer.
Uastirji was so revered by ancestors that even the month on which his holiday fell was called "Jeorguibayy May" - the month of Georguyb. Since the holiday lasts a week, this week is called “Worship Week of Uastirji”.
This week it is not customary to slaughter a bird, put fish, pork and products prepared from them on the table. Pork should not be present on the table when praying to God - Styr Hutsau, Uastirji and other saints. These products in the week of Jeorguib is not accepted to use at all.