School is an important part of life in Georgia, with most schools open from mid-September
to about the end of May, although there are variations on this schedule. School
life in Georgia also varies significantly from cities to villages as everything
from transportation to school culture varies based on the location of the school.
Free time in Georgia is heavily based on family, food, wine, and religion. Evenings
and weekends (Saturday-Sunday) tend to bring families together for a meal, dessert,
and the national favorite, wine, preferably homemade, or locally made wine. Family
is the center of the culture in Georgia and most free time is spent with family,
especially in more rural areas. In cities there is a growing nightlife for couples
and singles, but the culture surrounding this way of life only caters to a very
small percentage of the people.
Identity
Georgia is a country of minorities and hidden mountainous
people in addition to the ethnic majority of Georgians. These various ethnic groups
tend to identify by their ethnicity and this can put them at odds with the majority
and the government, particularly if they're Muslim. This friction has led to
a number of independence movements in Georgia and has created difficulty in uniting
the people. The ethnic majority identifies as Georgian, which is a term that is
based on ethnicity, but is also linked to the language and the religion, as Georgia
is one of the oldest Christian (Georgian Orthodox) countries in the world. The term
Georgian can also be used to identify a citizen of the country, but due to ethnic
divisions and conflicts, few ethnic minorities use this term to identify themselves,
even if they are citizens of the country.