Public holidays & days off
Holidays in Georgia
Holidays in Azerbaijan →Most Georgian public holidays are religious feasts of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which follows the Julian calendar — so Christmas falls on 7 January, not 25 December, and Easter is the movable Orthodox date. Alongside them sit secular days marking independence, unity and remembrance.
On major holidays (New Year, Orthodox Christmas, Easter and Independence Day) banks, public offices and many family-run businesses close, and long-distance roads are busy as people return to their home villages. Tourist sites, hotels and restaurants in the cities generally stay open, and religious feast days are a wonderful time to see churches and monasteries at their liveliest.
The biggest family holiday — two official days off, feasting, fireworks and the “mekvle” first-footing tradition.
Georgian Orthodox Christmas on the Julian calendar, marked by the candle-lit Alilo procession through the streets.
The Baptism of Christ; blessing of the waters at churches and rivers.
A public celebration of mothers and women, the day before Women’s Day.
A day off; flowers and gifts for the women in one’s life.
The most important religious feast — Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are all days off. Families dye red eggs and visit graves.
Remembers the victims of the 9 April 1989 tragedy in Tbilisi and the 1991 restoration of independence.
Marks victory over fascism in WWII; wreath-laying at memorials.
Honours the apostle traditionally held to have first brought Christianity to Georgia.
Georgia’s national day, marking the 1918 Declaration of Independence — military parade and celebrations in Tbilisi.
The Dormition of the Virgin Mary — a major feast, especially in churches dedicated to the Mother of God.
Feast of the Life-Giving Pillar at Mtskheta’s Svetitskhoveli Cathedral — a huge pilgrimage day just outside Tbilisi.
St George is Georgia’s patron saint — one of the most beloved feast days, celebrated at churches nationwide.