Chokha

The Chokha (Georgian: ჩოხა, ტალავარი, chokha, t'alavari; Abkhaz: акәымжәы, akʷymzhʷy; Adyghe: цые, tsiya; Persian: , Czugha; Armenian: չոխա, chokha; Azerbaijani: çuxa;Chechen: чокхиб, chokhib; Kabardian: цей, tsei; Lezgian: чуха, chukha; Ossetian: цухъхъа, cuqqa; Russian: черкеска, cherkeska) is a wool coat with a high neck that is part of the traditional male dress of the peoples of the Caucasus.

It has been in wide use among Georgians from the 9th century until the 1920s, The trend of Chokha in Georgians still continue to occur as they see it as their proud cultural heritage they inherit till this day. France may be known for its berets, and Spain for its mantillas, but few national costumes are linked to as strong a sense of national pride as Georgia’s Chokhas. Nearly every Georgian household has photos of ancestors adorned in chokhas. Once a symbol of resistance to Bolshevik Russia’s 1921 takeover of an independent Georgia, the chokha has now come to represent a Georgia reborn, a country that revels in its cultural individuality. Increasingly worn by Georgian men at weddings and official functions, the eye-catching garb is finally experiencing a comeback in Georgia. The Chokha revival is taking place in parallel with a resurgence of interest in other mainstays of Georgian culture – the Georgian Orthodox Church, Georgian folk dancing, and choral singing. “When you love your Chokha, you love your country. When you love your country, you love your traditions! The Chokha emphasizes I am a Georgian. It is a spiritual costume!” a leader of the All-Georgia Chokha Society said. The Chokha is truly a strong representation of Georgian national pride. Worn by Georgians for more than a thousand years, the high-necked wool coat was rarely seen during Soviet rule, but now again, for many it symbolizes the country's proud past and resistance to its occupation.

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