Still life with chichilaki

An old custom has been revived in Georgia, when chichilaki is placed in houses for the Christmas. They are made from a branch of a walnut tree: thin strips of wood are removed in layers from the bottom up, leaving them to stick at the upper end. The result is a curly planed "herringbone", which is otherwise called "basila" – that is, the beard of St. Basil. The church memory of Saint Basil the Great falls on the so-called "Old New Year", and in Georgia he is very much revered.