Supra (feast)

[1][2] Traditionally, and for many Georgians, up to the present, the foregrounded participants at a supra are men, with women relegated to secondary, supporting roles (especially as far as food preparation is concerned).

[4] While feasting and indulging in wine are documented in the notable works of Georgian courtly literature such as The Knight in the Panther's Skin and Amiran-Darejaniani, as well as in early travel accounts, the tradition of the toastmaster and the practice of making toasts in a form similar to contemporary customs are noticeably absent during those periods.

[5] The Georgian expressions for feasting in pre-Tsarist times are identified as nadimi and p’uroba (derived from p’uri meaning "bread," commonly used to encompass all types of food served at a meal).

[5] Historian John R. Perry contends that the origin of the Georgian custom and the term "supra" can be traced to the influence exerted by Safavid Iran.

[6] The Safavid iteration of drinking parties, characterized by ritual features, was shaped by the cultural impact of Inner Asian steppe nomads, specifically Mongol and Turkic peoples.

[7] Perry notes that while the contemporary Iranian sofre has evolved into a more restrained form, the Georgian supra has retained its bibulous Inner Asian traditions in the Caucasus region, serving as a lasting legacy of Safavid suzerainty.

[6] According to the philologist Levan Bregadze, the earliest occurrence of the Georgian term for "toast," sadγegrdzelo (literally meaning "for long life"), can be traced back to a mid-19th century poem by Grigol Orbeliani, inspired by a work of the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky composed in the aftermath of the Napoleon's invasion of Russia.