Holidays of Georgia - Ninooba (Day of the Advent of the Baptist of Georgia)

The personality of Saint Nino is associated with the arrival of Christianity in Georgia The Holy Orthodox Church honors the memory of great deeds twice a year Ninoba or the coming of Nino to Georgia is June 1, and January 27 is the day of Saint Nino’s death The future Saint was born into a family of righteous and decent parents Her father was a Roman governor, and her mother was a true believer from the noble family of the Jerusalem Patriarch Juvenal The girl Nino was the only child in the family She spent her first years of life in Cappadocia (Türkiye) in the city of Kolastri At the age of twelve, Nino goes to Jerusalem to be raised by Elder Nianfora, so that in the future he can devote himself entirely to serving the Lord With her first acquaintance with the Divine Scriptures, the girl was imbued with every word; love for the Son of God, Jesus, who endured great suffering for the salvation of the human race, awoke in her heart, and gave his own life for the good of humanity The Gospel stories about the events surrounding the crucifixion, betrayal and the terrible day of execution itself brought the girl a lot of mental suffering The mention of the tunic of the Savior (the robe of Christ, which was woven by the Most Holy Theotokos) caused Nino a frantic desire to find the shrine and bow before it in prayer Elder Nianfora told young Nino the legend that the Lord’s tunic is in Georgia (Iveria) This revelation prompted the girl to fervently pray to the Mother of God, so that she would help her get to a distant land and see with her own eyes the great shrine of all Christians And the news from the Most Holy Theotokos was not long in coming In a dream, Saint Nino saw the Mother of God presenting her with a cross woven from grape vines and blessing her at a sermon in distant Iberia When Nino woke up, she actually saw a grape cross in her hands It was a sign and a blessing for the long journey After long trials in 319, Nino reached the cherished land The local people won her heart, she easily learned the language and explored local traditions In those days, Georgians brought gifts and prayed to idols During such rituals, Nino said Orthodox prayers, a terrible storm arose and swept away the statues from their pedestals Also, the girl’s prayers were able to help the gardener’s wife (with whom Nino lived in Mtskheta) to recover from infertility The woman's name was Anastasia, and she is considered the first believer in Christ in Georgia Thanks to Nino’s righteous deeds and passionate prayers, many miracles and healings occurred in Georgia, after which King Marian himself and his entire family underwent Holy Baptism Then, in the waters of the Aragvi River, many ordinary residents were baptized, and in 324 in Georgia, Christianity was recognized as the religion of the state Thanks to the inexhaustible faith of Saint Nino, her sermons and educational activities, Christianity strengthened throughout the country and became an integral part of the life of every believer Nino died in 335; according to her will, her body was buried in Beaver, the last city of her earthly stay Later, a church was erected over the grave, which today stands on the territory of an active convent Not far from the monastery, in a mountain gorge, there is the famous St Nino spring with miraculous water that can overcome any ailment In the name of Nino’s parents, Saints Susanna and Zebulon, a small bathhouse and chapel were erected on the site of the source There are always a lot of pilgrims here who are looking for health and peace of mind in the sacred waters The great holiday of Ninoba is celebrated very solemnly throughout Georgia Services are held in the capital and in all regions, even in the smallest and most remote villages In Georgia, the Saint is loved and revered; five picturesque churches were built in Tbilisi alone In the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary there is a great relic - the same cross made of grapevine, which became a blessing for Nino’s journey from Jerusalem to Georgia Parishioners treat the shrine with special reverence and venerate the cross on the day of veneration Baptist Nino is considered the patroness of all Georgia and the Georgian people; her name is the most popular and in demand in the country She is considered the protector of all girls named Nino, and also patronizes everyone whose profession is related to educational activities In Georgia, there was even an award in the form of the white cross of St Nino, Equal to the Apostles, to reward individuals who contributed to the restoration of the Orthodox faith in the Caucasus Georgians pray to their intercessor, asking for health, healing of loved ones, prosperity and a bright future