“I would like to express gratitude to our Patriarch for gifting this day. We should care for our traditional values and this event is dedicated to this,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists before the May 17 procession.

According to the PM, the annual observation of the Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents is significant.

“I would like to express gratitude to our Patriarch for gifting this day. It is significant that we observe this day annually. We should care for our traditional values and today’s celebration and this event is dedicated to that,” he said.

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II declared May 17 as the Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents in 2014.

Since 2024, the Government of Georgia has declared May 17 a public holiday to honour the Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents.