When I had finished listening to the choir, I turned around and saw a large church behind me. All of the doors were open and people were going in and out, so I decided to check it out and go inside.
At the time, I had no idea which church this was or what I would eventually find inside.
Walking into the church, I was immediately struck by the beauty of it. The exterior was beautiful, but somewhat nondescript. The interior, on the other hand, was. . . WOW!
The iconostasis, the iconography, the magnificent apse, the large cross with a boulder for its base, and even the grave markings in the floor.
It was stunning.
The next day, I met up with my friends and told them about the beautiful singing and the amazing church I had stumbled upon. I offered to take them to see it, if they were up for it. They agreed, so made our way to the church.
We arrived and after spending some time walking around and taking pictures, my friend, Ken, came over to me and said he had just been talking to a man who told him this incredible story about the cross displayed at the front of the church. It was a replica of the Cross of St. Nino (the original cross is kept in a secure location in the lower portion of the church).
I had never heard of St. Nino or her story, but as I listened, I became intrigued by, and somewhat enamored with her. It would not be my last encounter with St. Nino and I would learn the church was Sioni Cathedral, the spiritual heart of Tbilisi, which has a fascinating history of its own.
So, what does this have to do with tea?
Well, regarding Chai House. . . just about everything.
That whirlwind weekend in Georgia ignited in me an affection for everything Georgian, especially, St. Nino. When Mary and I were researching the tea trade before starting Chai House and discovered Georgia was trying to revive a once thriving tea industry, it became a strong factor in our decision to take this plunge.
As Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mary and I recognized that Georgian tea provided us with a unique and unobtrusive opportunity to incorporate our faith into our new business venture. You can’t talk about Georgia, and not talk about St. Nino. She is intrinsically woven into the fabric of Georgian culture. There are a myriad of Georgian girls named Nino in her honor. Everywhere you go, you see images of her distinctive cross or architectural features that incorporate grapevines. St. Nino is literally everywhere in Georgia, as are Georgian Orthodox churches. Which is why you see them portrayed on the labels of our Georgian teas.
Since St. Nino is the patron saint of Georgia, we thought it not only fitting, but necessary to adopt her, along with St. George, as the patron saints of Chai House. As such, while our trip to Georgia in August 2021 was primarily to meet our Georgian tea supplier and visit our tea growers, it was also a pilgrimage to visit the resting place of St. Nino.
Mary and I were blessed to visit St. Nino’s Convent in Bodbe this summer and venerate the saint’s holy relics.
January 14 (January 27 in Georgia) is Ninooba or St. Nino’s Day. Today, we join our Georgian Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters to honor St. Nino on the day she entered her eternal rest.
I’m thinking a cup of Chai House Georgian tea and some khachapuri might be just the ticket to commemorate the memory of St. Nino.
Gagimarjos! (cheers in Georgian).
